Pathetic Policy

This is a pathetic story if ever there was one.  In Ohio, a new mom wanted to pump at work.  So she snuck off to do so, sometimes at times that she wasn't due a break.  The company, Totes/Isotoner, fired her for taking unauthorized breaks!   She sued, using that a law protecting discrimination against pregnant women.

The Ohio Supreme Court yesterday ruled in favor of the company, saying it was within its rights if it felt the employee was taking unauthorized breaks.

The Supreme court did not rule on whether lactating is related to pregnancy and thus covered under the above-mentioned law.

I was incredulous as I read this. 

If the company was in any way progressive, or valued its employees, it would have instituted a break policy for lactating moms to pump at work.  Not only that, it wuld provide them a clean, safe and comfortable place in which to do so.  But noooooooo!  Not this one.  So maybe the state of Ohio needs to jump in and create a law, like many other states, encouraging workplaces to adapt baby-friendly policies.  If the mother felt she had support, she never would have had to sneak off in the first place!

Second, while the Supreme Court didn't rule on whether lactating is related to pregnancy, someone should challenge it to do so.