Firing woman for taking unauthorized breaks to pump breast milk...

I won't be buying any Isotoner products. They could have made different arrangements to allow her to pump her breast milk. They didn't have to fire her. Using "failure to follow directions" is a pathetic attempt to disguise an obvious discrimination.

Does she not get the alotted two 15 minute breaks and 30 minute lunch that most employees that work 40 hours a week are entitled too? As a mom that did this at work five hours is extrememly long to wait to pump. You are in pain in most cases! You have to keep up or your supply will diminish quicker. Somethings is not being said in this case. There are plenty of women that nurse and still work FT.

there is a guy at work who just sits in bathroom stalls all day and shreads newspapers and talks to himself. Could he get fired?

i dont even get two 15 minute breaks.
My guess is the person was a bigger issue and this was a way to get rid of her.
I am all for breastfeeding if thats what you choose. You still have to follow the rules of your company.

I can't even believe what I am reading here. Isotoner apparently only cares about their employees on a superficial level. I think they could've been more accomodating about working out the best plan for her/them to get the work done she needed to do and pump. I agree with the first post and I will not be buying Isotoner products and supporting a selfish company.

Only smokers are allowed to take unauthorized breaks, I thought everyone knew that!

I think women should be able to pump their breast milk as often as they need to, as long as it does interfere with the productivity or efficeiency of their work.

Concerned wrote:

I won't be buying any Isotoner products. They could have made different arrangements to allow her to pump her breast milk. They didn't have to fire her. Using "failure to follow directions" is a pathetic attempt to disguise an obvious discrimination.

Obviously discrimination!! No way could this woman have been at fault. I'm betting she was the only woman that ever worked there and that she was singled out for having a baby. I bet the upper management denied her breaks because they hated the idea of families. There was obviously no other undisclosed reason that she was fired.
I bet they're a pinko communist taliban nazi company that hates everyone.
Get a clue!

If they really fired her for that and, if she was a good employee, why couldn't they given her a break and gave her a lunch break an hour or so early. I'm pretty sure you don;t lactate for the rest of your life. At least she was working to take care of that child. I'm so thankful that when i was in a similar situation my judge understood the position i was in. His wife had breast feed thier children.

Concerned wrote:

I won't be buying any Isotoner products. They could have made different arrangements to allow her to pump her breast milk. They didn't have to fire her. Using "failure to follow directions" is a pathetic attempt to disguise an obvious discrimination.

I completely agree, and will follow your lead, as a way of letting them know just how disgusted I am about this!!!

Just use formula! People are whiners in this world! If you can't follow orders you should be fired, then you can stay home and have the baby attached to you!

No more Totes/Isotoner products for me. Spread the word.

Even thought I am a male, this ruling really sucks. I think there was probably and other motve for her firing that had nothing to do with pumping milk from her breasts.

"In an unsigned opinion, the court said Allen's status as a lactating mother isn't relevant to the dispute."

Oh, please! How is it not relevant when it was the mitigating factor? When did business become more important than the people? And don't get me started on the Ohio Supreme Court. Yikes -

Concerned - amen! Good idea to boycott Isotoner! Thanks for suggesting it.

Ridiculous wrote:

I can't even believe what I am reading here. Isotoner apparently only cares about their employees on a superficial level. I think they could've been more accomodating about working out the best plan for her/them to get the work done she needed to do and pump. I agree with the first post and I will not be buying Isotoner products and supporting a selfish company.

You need to read the entire story. her 'baby' was over a year old & she was still breast feeding. she had been warned many times, she also did not work 8 hr days. only partime. my guess is that both sides have issues that we do not know.

Followup to my previous comment. I also will not buy Isotoner products. We should all get on the band wagon and boycott them. Also the Company should have allowed her to take her lunch break after 4 hours of work insread of having to wait 5 hours. Sounds to me they are not a all concerned with any of their employees well being. Maybe the US justice system (Dept of Labor)should look into this matter.

I'm completely stunned. No way is Isotoner getting anymore of my business. Way to move into the 21st century people. Thank you to the Courts of Ohio for setting back women's rights to the mid 20th century again. This is a dangerous precedent because now all a company has to say is "you broke the rules, it has nothing to do with your breastfeeding" and they can get away with this. I hope her lawyers advise her to appeal.

I guess they'd also rather see her walking around leaking rather than taking 5 minutes to pump and ease her pain and embarrassment.

I think every company should change all their policies to accomodate every employee they have. Start work at noon so everyone can get their banking and shopping done. Instead of flex time, have "whenever I feel like it" time, or even better, "I want to get paid, but not work" time. Employers should pick people up at their homes because employees shouldn't be forced to drive if they don't want to. I'm only going to guess that all the other women who work and have worked there were fired or will be fired for lactating. Wait... Why isn't Isotoner in the national news for being a company that fires women for pumping breasts? Maybe she deserved it. The court seems to agree. They must hate women also. Bigots!!!

Federal law does not require lunch or coffee breaks.
http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/workhours/breaks...
If she did not get breaks before then her taking breaks after having the baby becomes the issue, especially if they were unauthorized. I think her attorney let her down in the argument they put forth.