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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsStaples Co-Founder Complains That Allowing Women To Breastfeed At Work Will Cost Jobs
Staples Co-Founder Complains That Allowing Women To Breastfeed At Work Will Cost Jobs
By Marie Diamond on Feb 7, 2012 at 2:40 pm
Staples co-founder Tom Stemberg is speaking out against a serious threat to economic recovery and job creation: breastfeeding moms:
Do you want (farming retailer) Tractor Supply to open stores or would you rather they take their capital and do what Obamacare and its 2,700 pages dictates which is to open a lactation chamber at every single store that they have? he asked.
Im big on breastfeeding; my wife breastfed, Stenberg added. Im all for that. I dont think every retail store in America should have to go to lactation chambers, which is what Obamacare foresees.
http://cnsnews.com/blog/craig-bannister/obamacare-dictates-retailers-open-lactation-chamber-every-single-store-staples
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/02/07/420595/staples-co-founder-complains-that-allowing-women-to-breastfeed-at-work-will-cost-jobs/
SheilaT
(23,156 posts)at any given time are working in retail and breastfeeding.
I'm being reminded of the justifications in the 1960's, which I'm old enough to recall quite clearly, about not hiring women for jobs because of course they'd get married an leave. Or not hiring married women because of course they'd get pregnant and leave.
God forbid a woman who is currently breastfeeding and wants to return to work also wants to continue nursing.
jeff47
(26,549 posts)Demonaut
(8,914 posts)Enrique
(27,461 posts)unblock
(52,183 posts)unblock
(52,183 posts)"duhhrrrrrr, i'm a stoopid republican kool-aid guzzler ceo! care for a heavy dose of neanderthal politics with your office supplies?"
kysrsoze
(6,019 posts)I already hated Staples enough to never go there again.
DCKit
(18,541 posts)Obviously, the Obama Administration is going to demand that these "lactation chambers" be built to the standards of any 5-star hotel. It's only a matter of time before squatting breast-feeders move in and take over the joint.
It's a slippery slope folks. It's got to be stopped now.
Politicalboi
(15,189 posts)Of a woman breastfeeding in public, we wouldn't even have to have lactation chambers. It's their perversion of it that caused all this.
BlueIris
(29,135 posts)Those dreaded "lactation chambers" will probably be parts of the stores' back rooms or storage areas.
YellowRubberDuckie
(19,736 posts)It has to have a comfy chair, table, fridge and a place to clean up both herself and the equipment. And the women have to clock out in order to do it, which seems contrary to labor laws, but they get one extended break and their lunch. Anything else has to be clocked out for. So, essentially these moms get no lunch break and no break from work, just work and pump. Seems wrong. And what is worse is HR is run by women.
LiberalEsto
(22,845 posts)I managed to breast-feed each of my two daughters while working full time as a reporter at a major newspaper. Didn't slow me down a bit. I was in a 2-person bureau and I just waited until the other reporter took a lunch break, did my pump thing, and that was that.
All that's needed is a small break room or something.
Initech
(100,060 posts)pinboy3niner
(53,339 posts)What a bozo!
Dawson Leery
(19,348 posts)niyad
(113,232 posts)HubertHeaver
(2,522 posts)Milking Parlor rather than lactation chamber.
Is Tom Stemberg that ignorant of retail operations? Re-arrangement and remodeling of current stores is a store-specific internal item. Store-opening is a corporate item.
Cairycat
(1,706 posts)That would take care of some of the need. The law says that all an employer needs to provide is a room that can lock, and is not a restroom. Furthermore, businesses with less than 50 employees are exempt, as are businesses who find meeting the requirements an undue hardship.
And besides that, Mr. Stemberg, supporting breastfeeding by your employees will save you money in the long run, because breastfed babies tend to get sick less often, and there are studies showing positive effects from having been breastfed on into the school years. Mothers who breastfeed have lower rates of breast cancer.
Twenty-one years ago, my boss helped me find a custodial closet. It was well lit so it wasn't bad. The only amenity it lacked was a sink. But I managed to feed my daughter mom milk exclusively for 6 and half months, and she got solid food and mom milk for a long time afterwards - never needed to use formula. A helpful boss and my own determination were what made that possible.
SalviaBlue
(2,915 posts)when their babies are breastfeeding age should breastfeed. Pig.
DisgustipatedinCA
(12,530 posts)Note to self: LOTS of places sell pencils, paper, and staples. Don't go there.