Coming off a recent piece from Fortune on the secret society of executive women– it is clear that women are supporting one another in the workplace. However, Refinery29 confirms that employers are not exactly on board when it comes to pumping on the job. One woman’s testimony:
“So, picture the scene: Twice a day, every day, for the past seven months, I go to the women’s restroom, prepare my pumping pieces, put my shelf on top of the toilet seat, take a seat, and begin pumping. For the next 20 minutes, I stare at the back of a toilet stall door. I did finally figure out how to hold the pumps while looking at my phone, so it did become a bit less boring. Oh, and the real kicker: The lights in the bathroom are on a motion sensor, so after exactly nine minutes, 13 seconds (I know this because of the timer on my pump) the lights go off. Unless someone comes into the bathroom to trigger the motion detector, I am left in the dark for the next 10 minutes.”
Donald Trump also made headlines last week after calling lawyer Elizabeth Beck “disgusting” for requesting to take a pumping break, raising concern that employers simply do not understand the needs of new mothers.
While women supporting women is something to be admired, it is important employers are accommodating new mothers- whether it be through providing a sufficient pumping space, or simply adjusting attitudes (Looking at you, Trump).