New mothers want pumping room at work
Friday, May 8th, 2009
By: Shai Ben-Yaacov
sben-yaacov@whyy.org
Breastfeeding mothers in Pennsylvania may soon have a state-mandated space to pump breast milk in the workplace. A bill in the state assembly would force employers to provide a clean, private room for pumping. A legislative committee will hold a hearing on the issue today at Bryn Mawr Hospital.
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When Philadelphian Megan Thomas returned from maternity leave to her job as a paralegal, she found that her office was ill prepared to accommodate her need to pump breast milk.
Thomas: I was basically told to use the bathroom, which is not sanitary. I don't think they'd expect anyone to eat their lunch in a bathroom, let alone provide milk for my daughter in a very unsanitary environment.
The firm did eventually provide a room for Thomas, but it was frequently used by employees on their lunch breaks. If passed, the legislation now moving through the General Assembly would make companies provide a space that new mothers could use whenever they needed it.
Officials from the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce say designating such a space should be voluntary, not mandatory.