pumping at work - do you offer to "make up" the time?

[Mom to Brandon and 2 cats]

Title says it all. Do I need to offer to make up the time spent pumping (2x/day, approx 20 mins each). I'm already on the minimum lunch hour (30 minutes). What do you think? Or maybe just try to bring some reading in while I'm pumping?

I have a new boss since I've been on mat leave, so I'm not sure how open he'll be to things...

sigh.

--Jennifer

[lizzywednesday]

Do you work with smokers? Do smokers offer to "make up" the time they spend outdoors smoking?

What about bathroom breaks? Do you offer to "make up" the time spent in the bathroom?

Why should pumping be any different? (IMO, because EBFing your baby reduces his/her chances of infection in the 1st few months because of the antibodies you're passing on, it actually SAVES your employer time and expense because you're not missing days to take care of a sick kid.)

Your pumping sessions may even be protected by law in your state.

FWIW, I pump 3x/day at work and do clock out because my boss hasn't authorized me to have a company laptop yet. This means I eat my lunch at my desk (I have a stash of Clorox wipes) and have to be very focused, but I manage.

[BabyBearsMom]

I think it depends on your boss and your environment. I pump 3x/day and altogether it takes up about 90 minutes/day (between set up, pumping and clean up). My boss is supportive and doesn't care, but I feel guilty, so usually eat at my desk so I am available during lunch time; plus if it is a busy day, I will frequently do some work while I am pumping (e-mails, reading documents etc.).

That being said, our philosophy is that you have x amount of work to do and you work as much or as little as it takes to get that done. So if we are busier one day, I may stay a half hour later.

[designermv]

I have a half-hour lunch break and two 15-minute breaks. I pump twice, during both breaks. I don't usually use much (if any) 'extra' time, but if I did, I probably wouldn't get too stressed about making it up unless it was more than a half-hour. My work environment is fairly laid back, and I can sneak in and out without anyone really noticing. If I'm on deadline for a project I might stay a bit later.

Can you ask HR if there is a policy already in place for your workplace? Do you get any short breaks in addition to your lunch break?

[wendibird22]

I don't, but I have my own private office and pump at my desk. I pump at 8:30, 11:30 (when I try to also eat lunch) and 2:30. I spend at most 20mins at a session (set up through clean up). While we have a set 8-4:15 work day, most of us work way more than that (for example I work until 7:30pm every Thursday during the academic year) so I put in more hours than I'm paid for and do not feel the need to make the time up.

And I agree with whether other people have to comp time for their breaks. Heck, a guy can easily spend 20mins in the john reading the paper!

[GaPeach_in_Ca]

I did not as I am not an hourly employee. We are judged on work completed, not hours spent.

I think it really would depend on your job and job environment.

[wellyes]

I didn't but I was certainly mindful that I was taking a lot of breaks and that impacted my day. Made me more efficient and less likely to spend time chatting idly. Plus, I thought work thoughts as I pumped :)

My boss never brought up the concept of making up the time at all.


Your pumping sessions may even be protected by law in your state.
There are state laws that protect the right to have a break but none that mandate that the break must be paid.

[Mom to Brandon and 2 cats]

thanks...I'm not an hourly employee, and have 2 -15 minute breaks a day. I've already asked for a non-conventional work schedule to accommodate AM school drop-off, so I don't want to be perceived as asking for too much.

Maybe what I'll do is let him know that I'll be pumping, and if work productivity becomes an issue for him, then I'll offer up something else (which would probably mean working at night from home after the kids are asleep).

thanks for the advice!
PS: I'm in CA, anybody know the BF'ing laws here?

[lizzywednesday]

...

thanks for the advice!
PS: I'm in CA, anybody know the BF'ing laws here?

This should help you get started:

http://www.ncsl.org/Default.aspx?TabId=14389

[designermv]

Lots of good info here:
http://www.usbreastfeeding.org/Workplace/WorkplaceSupport/WorkplaceSupportinHealthCareReform/tabid/175/Default.aspx

I *think* that it's now nationwide law for women to have the right to pump at work. If you work for a company with less than 50 employees, you may not be afforded the right if the company can prove undue hardship caused by your taking breaks to pump. All the details should be in the link I posted.

Good luck to you!

[GaPeach_in_Ca]

See, at my job we don't have set 15 min breaks or lunch or anything like that. We can leave for an appointment, take a break, take lunch, etc., whenever we want. We are evaluated on what we accomplish and how we manage our time is up to us. (So while I may not need to be an 8-5, I may need to work at night/on the weekends, if I am trying to finish an assignment.)

Since you said you had 2-15 min breaks per day and a minimum lunch, it makes it sound like a different type of environment. Probably one were your time is more monitored? In that type of situation, I would be more likely to make up the time. I would definitely talk with your boss about it.

Here's the law in CA:


http://www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/healthyliving/childfamily/Pages/CaliforniaLawsRelatedtoBreastfeeding.aspx:

California Labor Code § 1030-1033.
2002: Chapter 3.8, Section 1030, Part 3 of Division 2 of the Labor Code

1030. Every employer, including the state and any political subdivision, shall provide a reasonable amount of break time to accommodate an employee desiring to express breast milk for the employee's infant child. The break time shall, if possible, run concurrently with any break time already provided to the employee. Break time for an employee that does not run concurrently with the rest time authorized for the employee by the applicable wage order of the Industrial Welfare Commission shall be unpaid.
1031. The employer shall make reasonable efforts to provide the employee with the use of a room or other location, other than a toilet stall, in close proximity to the employee's work area, for the employee to express milk in private. The room or location may include the place where the employee normally works if it otherwise meets the requirements of this section.
1032. An employer is not required to provide break time under this chapter if to do so would seriously disrupt the operations of the employer.
1033. (a) An employer who violates any provision of this chapter shall be subject to a civil penalty in the amount of one hundred dollars ($100) for each violation.
(b) If, upon inspection or investigation, the Labor Commissioner determines that a violation of this chapter has occurred, the Labor Commissioner may issue a citation. The procedures for issuing, contesting, and enforcing judgments for citations or civil penalties issued by the Labor Commissioner for violations of this chapter shall be the same as those set forth in Section 1197.1.
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, violations of this chapter shall not be misdemeanors under this code.



It seems like you would only be making up 10 min since you already have 2 15 min breaks. That seems negotiable. So perhaps mention that you will be pumping on your breaks and if needed you will stay 10 min later or something?

[TwoBees]

When I pumped, I absolutely did not. Until each and every person who takes multiple smoke breaks each day is required to make up that time, I will not make up time spent pumping.

[mommylamb]

I never "made up" pumping time. then again, I'm sitting here at work now taking a BBB break and I'm not making that up either. Often when I was pumping I would read things that I needed to read for work anyway, but sometimes I read BBB...

[wendibird22]

I never "made up" pumping time. then again, I'm sitting here at work now taking a BBB break and I'm not making that up either. Often when I was pumping I would read things that I needed to read for work anyway, but sometimes I read BBB...



:innocent: I may or may not be doing the same thing!

[vonfirmath]

Do you work with smokers? Do smokers offer to "make up" the time they spend outdoors smoking?

What about bathroom breaks? Do you offer to "make up" the time spent in the bathroom?

If my bathroom break was 20 minutes+, you bet I'd make up the time.

If I smoked, it would only be on my allowed break time, no extra time.

So if pumping fits into your allowed time off, go ahead and don't make it up. But if it is taking extra time? I'd make sure you still put in your required hours per week. You don't want resentments building up about your pumping and such.

[Momof3Labs]

I *think* that it's now nationwide law for women to have the right to pump at work. If you work for a company with less than 50 employees, you may not be afforded the right if the company can prove undue hardship caused by your taking breaks to pump. All the details should be in the link I posted.

Good luck to you!

I know that it is law many places protecting women's right to pump at work, but that doesn't mean that it is law that the employer provide PAID pumping breaks.

[kijip]

No, I was on salary for both times I was pumping at work. The first place with a parenting non-profit and the second was (is- I still work here, though no longer pump) a social justice non-profit. So long as my work got done (which is always more than does!) no one cared. In fact, at the first place, promoting breastfeeding was part of the mission. I was very lucky. I can't imagine how much harder this would be on the clock or without an office etc.

[Kestrel]

I'm an hourly employee. When I was pumping, I had to punch out to do so. When my boss and I set up my pumping times, I was able, at my option, to take the time as a loss or make it up later. Our final solution was a combo.. I made up the time by staying an hour later on fridays, when they really needed the help, and took the loss on the other days. (As long as I didn't go under 35 hours/week, I maintained full-time status.)
Our conversation was all at once - when/where to pump, store milk, clean parts, and the time needed. I think that was a big help - that it was all part of one discussion.
However, I was much slower than you! I always took at least 20 min to pump, plus set-up/clean-up time. (I had supply issues.) If your time loss is really going to be that small, I would state it as such! "I'm going to use an extra ten minutes or so a day, how would you like me to make this up?" My guess is that if you approch it this way, your boss will just tell you not to worry about it.

[lizzywednesday]

I know that it is law many places protecting women's right to pump at work, but that doesn't mean that it is law that the employer provide PAID pumping breaks.

No, the breaks are not mandated to be paid.

I think that all of us don't expect to be paid for pump-breaks, but the question is whether or not the OP should "make up" the time she spends while away from her desk and spending that time pumping.

It's not about whether or not the OP (or any pumping mom) should be paid for the time spent pumping, but rather, whether or not she should "make up" the time.

I don't feel any obligation to "make up" the time I spend pumping, and I do clock out and do not expect to be paid for the time.

[AnnieW625]

If I were pumping at work no I would not offer to make up the time; IMHO people who take smoke breaks every hour or two don't ever offer to make up the time for their breaks (at least where I work) so I would not expect to be asked to make up the time for the 3 20 minute or so pump breaks I would need each day.

[boolady]

It's not about whether or not the OP (or any pumping mom) should be paid for the time spent pumping, but rather, whether or not she should "make up" the time.

I don't feel any obligation to "make up" the time I spend pumping, and I do clock out and do not expect to be paid for the time.

But for those of us who are not hourly, as the initial poster stated she was not, clocking out is not an option. My position is salaried, and I am not entitled to any breaks during the day, save my lunch hour. Therefore, technically, while I was pumping, I was doing it on company time; however, as IP wrote in one of her subsequent posts, for salaried employees it's really a matter of productivity and the honor system.

[babychi]

I just finished pumping at work, I had been doing it twice a day for 30 mins (prep-pump-clean up) each session. I'm a salaried employee and to "make-up" the time I always ate lunch at my desk. Now that I have weaned, I use my lunch hour to workout instead! :)

[carolinamama]

I am a nurse and do shift work so of course I don't really make up time. When I was pumping though, I had to be much more efficient about my work than I have to be when I am not. I always pumped during lunch and several other times throughout the day as it fit into what was going on with my patient(s).

I think I would just make sure your productivity was good and go from there.

[pantrygirl]

I haven't read every post but all women I know who pump at work, work while pumping.

[Momof3Labs]

No, the breaks are not mandated to be paid.

I think that all of us don't expect to be paid for pump-breaks, but the question is whether or not the OP should "make up" the time she spends while away from her desk and spending that time pumping.

It's not about whether or not the OP (or any pumping mom) should be paid for the time spent pumping, but rather, whether or not she should "make up" the time.

I don't feel any obligation to "make up" the time I spend pumping, and I do clock out and do not expect to be paid for the time.

I raised that point because it was mentioned that pumping was protected by law. But that really has nothing to do with this thread - the employer isn't trying to prevent the OP from pumping. It's just a question of whose time it is done on, and the law does not address that.

[vonfirmath]

I haven't read every post but all women I know who pump at work, work while pumping.

That works great if you have a private office. If you have to go elsewhere to pump (like I did) working while pumping is not an option.

the other lady pumping when I did had a private office so she pumped in her office and I don't doubt she answered email, etc while pumping.

[ShanaMama]

Do you work with smokers? Do smokers offer to "make up" the time they spend outdoors smoking?



Haven't read all the responses but this is exactly what I was thinking.

[luckytwenty]

I will have to go to another office to pump as I work at a cubicle, so between that, pumping and cleaning, it will probably be 25 minutes for me. We don't have an official policy on pumping (OR smoking breaks) but generally, if we can't get it done during office hours and it's pressing, we log back on at night and finish up loose ends. Like my colleagues, I occasionally am late to work because of doctor appointments/school plays/etc. and while no one ever says to me, "You'd better stay late and finish a full 8 hour day!" I end up making up the time somehow because I have too much work to put in less than 40 hours a week. Not sure if logging on at night, remotely, is an option for you, but if you do have to clock out for pump sessions, that might be an easy way to make it up. 40 minutes at night at home.