A question for working mothers in the US who pump at work...?

Question

For all moms in the US who pump at work... (if you are outside of US feel free to comment if you want) The laws surrounding pumping at work are pretty vague so I wanted to get an idea of what other moms out there are doing at work.

Where do you pump at?

Did your employer provide this space for you or did you have to locate one yourself?

Did you have to request a different space other than the one offered to you?

Anyone who had an employer who did not give you space to pump?

Just wanted to know everyone else's experiences with pump and lactation rooms. I currently use an abandoned office but it will soon be used by someone and I'm not sure where I will pump. My HR director offered her office but I would rather have a more private space that I don't have to "ask" to use each time I need to.

Thanks all...

Answer 1

When I did work after my second child was born, I was not provided a space to pump. I could only do it during my scheduled break or lunches. I tried to do it in the employee bathroom. If it took longer than the 15 minutes allotted, it was called "stealing time." I worked at a store part time and did not have any rights regarding the matter. (As far as I knew at the time.) I was working at jc penney and I worked such different hours that I had to choose between breastfeeding or the job used to feed my older child, my husband, and myself. My husband was working but we really needed the extra money.

Just wanted to share my experience with trying to work and breastfeeding.  

Answer 2

I pump in a small storage closet right now.  We are in the midst of a buyout and the new company is remodeling the entire building.  One of the things they are adding is a mother's room.  I asked my employer to provide me a place and they were quick to help me out.  

Answer 3

I have my own office and the door has no window, so when I come back to work, I plan to pump in here.

For the people who have cubicles, but no office, my job has provided a room for them to use.

Answer 4

I'm in retail management and am usually alone in my department all day long.  It has been a very trying last two months to pump at work.  I usually just go out to my car.  Sometimes, when other offices are not being used (there's only 3)  I will put a sign on the door and pump in there.  There is really no private place for them to set me up in.  I just had to make do with what I had.  

Answer 5

I suppose I will be using the women's restroom to pump. There really are no alternatives. I work for a busy car dealership, so privacy is pretty much non-existent.  

Answer 6

I pumped in the restroom. I took a chair in and sat in the chair. It is a single person restroom. There really isn't anywhere else I could have used.  

Answer 7

My boss is kind os a d*ck so he has not offered anything.  I currently share an office with another woman and she will kindly leave if she is not busy and sometimes if I have no where to go I will lock the door and pump with her in the office with me (there is a cubicle wall between us and she has a son my age so it's not too weird.)  Otherwise I use people's offices when they are out.  It is an office of all women besides my boss so everyone is pretty understanding.  From what others have told be about the law, employers are supposed to supply you with a space and time.  When I 1st came back to work he made a comment to a co-worker about the time I was taking to pump and I made it very clear that I take less time total pumping during work than the people do who take cigarette breaks almost every hour.

Answer 8

I use the restroom. its just for employees and there are only 5 of us and we clean it everyday. I would just use the back room but there are cameras and that would just be funny.