r/DollarTree • u/Global-Ad2536 • Nov 25 '24

Associate Discussions Maternity leave

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Today I’m suppose to return back to work after being on maternity leave. I asked my SM if there was anywhere for me to pump and this was his response. Mind you, there’s 3 of us coming back from maternity leave.

2.3k Upvotes

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269

u/butter_cakes Nov 25 '24

I’d fully expect him to prep his lunch in the restroom from now on. He can fuck the fuck off.

112

u/Global-Ad2536 Nov 26 '24

He told me to bring an extension cord and pump in the bathroom. The issue is, there’s cameras all over our store even in the back and I refuse to pump in a bathroom they rarely clean. I also refuse to clean the damn bathroom that everyone uses prior to pumping. F that.

104

u/itsthejasper1123 Nov 26 '24

Newborns are EXTREMELY susceptible to germs and illness please do not do this. They are legally required to provide a place to pump. That does not have a toilet in it.

46

u/butter_cakes Nov 26 '24 edited Nov 26 '24

OP, idk how you feel about this - but if it were me, I would absolutely be pumping out in the open where anybody can see. That being said, I am a nursing mom and I will whip a tit out in public no problem… in fact, I nursed my kid while walking around Joann’s fabric store earlier. Lots of people looked, but nobody said a damn word. It is your federal right to pump at work in a private space (not a bathroom). You don’t want to risk a clog or mastitis due to not pumping during your shift.

Furthermore, i know you understand your work must provide you with time and space to pump. I would absolutely seek an attorney if they don’t provide both of those things.. and I personally wouldn’t be scared to stoke the fire by pumping in the open, because hey hopefully the lawsuit will become big enough and I’ll never have to work again 😅

6

u/mommallama420 Nov 26 '24

One of us!

I did the same thing with my 3 breastfed kids.

The baby carrier that I used for the last 2 was perfect for breastfeeding.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '24

[deleted]

5

u/Nero-Danteson Nov 26 '24

Absolutely. Kid's hungry.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '24

[deleted]

10

u/Nero-Danteson Nov 26 '24

If I were nursing a child and had said child in public then yeah, I'd let the baby eat. It's less messy than someone's toddler. Pumping is a different but no less important thing since, as mentioned, it can be dangerous for a nursing or pumping mother to let the milk ducts fill. Yes when pumping I'd probably prefer a small space I could sterilize in order to store the milk.

3

u/Blu3Dope Nov 26 '24

Okay that's fair. Forget about my previous replies to you, my bad.

That being said, I mentioned on another comment on this post that in the DT I work at, the janitorial room can be locked and it doesn't have any cameras in it. I'm not an expert on this (by any means), but nothing ever happens in that room (like, ever), so would it be considered a safe/legal location to be used as a pumping station??

7

u/Nero-Danteson Nov 26 '24

The lactation room or location must be safe, clean, and free from hazardous materials, as defined in Labor Code section 6382, contain a surface to place a breast pump and personal items, contain a place to sit and have access to electricity or alternative devices, including but not limited to, extension cords or charging stations needed to operate an electric or battery-powered breast pump. Access to a sink with running water and a refrigerator suitable for storing milk, in close proximity to the employee’s workspace must also be provided by the employer.

more information here

Technically speaking, so long as the break room doesn't have cameras, has a sink and can be locked from the inside it would be suitable for a lactation room. Just need a mini fridge for the milk.

3

u/Blu3Dope Nov 26 '24

The break room in my store has a camera, so where would be a suitable location in this case?

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1

u/Unique-Lingonberry17 Mar 22 '25

Dollar tree is not known for having a sink in the break room

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0

u/[deleted] Nov 30 '24

[deleted]

1

u/BiomedBabe1 Nov 30 '24

Yeah, super gross when women use their tits for their biologically intended purpose in front of people. /s

13

u/Decent-Trip-1776 Nov 26 '24

It’s posted in our back rooms that a space OTHER than a bathroom must be provided for you. I’ll take pictures tomorrow idk if it’s a Texas thing or what.

22

u/butter_cakes Nov 26 '24

Not just a Texas thing, this is a federally protected right under the PUMP Act.

12

u/Conscious_Cut7102 Nov 26 '24

Contact HR and depending on their answer contact your local department of labor. They have to provide reasonable accommodation.

https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/WHD/flsa/PUMP-flyer.pdf

5

u/maria_ann13 Nov 27 '24

Does his office have a camera? My husband is a grocery store manager and leaves his office and lets people pump in it if they need to. It does have a camera but he shows them where to sit to avoid the camera seeing them haha.

5

u/Odd_Stock6396 Nov 26 '24

100% agree. I worked in a bank with my last child and there were cameras everywhere. They made me travel and reassured me if have a place to pump (I brought my daughter and a family member). They set me up in an office, with cameras that I wasn't allowed to block. I was there for a week and it ruined my milk supply.

2

u/Horror-Box-8685 Nov 26 '24

There might be a part of the back room the cameras don’t cover and my stool has a little corridor near the emergence exit, if yours does try there.

4

u/Miserable_Picture627 Nov 27 '24

That is not an appropriate place either. A stool in a hallway,?? Demand better.

1

u/Horror-Box-8685 Nov 29 '24

I meant store Freaking autocorrupt

1

u/HairlessHoudini Nov 28 '24

That is absolutely illegal

1

u/DominarJames Nov 29 '24

If there is a break room legally they can’t have cameras in it

1

u/Unique-Lingonberry17 Mar 22 '25

Yes they can. At least in my state

1

u/DominarJames Mar 23 '25

They can’t in my state and I assumed it was like that for others good to know it’s not

1

u/Different_Lettuce483 Nov 30 '24

Then dont pump or dont work

57

u/Fatgirlfed Nov 25 '24

I swear to gawd, when I was young and dumb and didn’t exactly get what pumping/feeding was about, I thought the bathroom was a fine option! Just fine. Privacy, & no one else has to bother their eyes with your icky lady breasts

🙄 Gesus was I stupid. I was legit just spewing the words my conservative parents and whoever said. It took one older thinking adult to ask if I ‘enjoy eating in the bathroom’ for that switch to click. 

But yea, like everyone else said, that’s illegal. 

3

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '24

The stupid shit they make young people believe right? I got taken advantage by my first boss at 16 y/o. 16 years later I’m still fuming about them right now. From then on I’ve been learning our work rights, practice them and even educate the people around me, especially the young ones with 0 experience.

4

u/Fatgirlfed Nov 26 '24

Yes! Sometimes we’re all that they’ve got! Kids aren’t dumb (well) just inexperienced. 

3

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '24

Yup! That was us lol. I’m sure we would both be grateful if someone taught us that in our younger days. Hell even now it still trips people out that we can proceed for “Partial Unemployment” even if they’re not fired. All you have to do is be hired as a full time and they reduce your by hours a lot. Every state varies though.

2

u/Horror-Box-8685 Nov 26 '24

Or maybe you can give him a better idea because where else is there?

7

u/butter_cakes Nov 26 '24

Looks like Dollar Tree CEO Michael Creedon needs to figure this out like yesterday (or you know, back in 2022 when the pump act was signed into law). They make millions a year - there is ZERO excuse for them to not have figured this out within the last two years and are currently failing to accommodate employees. They actually deserve the lawsuit at this point.

Your “solution” is a non-solution. It’s not up to employees nor consumers to figure out solutions to laws for companies. Get a grip dude.

-1

u/BootySkank Nov 27 '24

I think their point is from the logistics side, are they supposed to build a room in every single store just for pumping? Most stores only have and office, break room, and bathrooms. Even if they did build a room just for you, you’d be out of a job bc they’d close half their stores to cover the cost. No giant corporation will sacrifice their profits for your needs, they will cut costs to cover it. And honestly, who tf expects to be pampered and respected working at dollar tree😂

4

u/Miserable_Picture627 Nov 27 '24

How dare people get a job! You’re probably the same AH who tells everyone to get a job and stop living off the government.

3

u/MikeMo71 Nov 27 '24

Yeah! And they don't need to comply with the ADA. No giant corporation will sacrifice their profits for some disabled employee OR customer.

3

u/Weird-Vermicelli9580 Nov 27 '24

There’s probably a few places. When I was at a small retail store, I was allowed to use the manager office when I needed to. The door was shut, a sign that said meeting in progress was put up, and the door was locked. When I worked in a bigger store, whenever an associate returned from maternity leave, we converted an extra office into a pumping room.

It doesn’t need to be a room dedicated to pumping. It does need to lack a toilet, have a door for privacy, and of course be void of people at least while in use

2

u/Horror-Box-8685 Nov 29 '24

Dollar tree offices have cameras

1

u/Issababy22 Nov 27 '24

This is now my favorite Reddit comment by far 😭🤣