Judy Hatfield reports a case of a teacher who is being harassed by a
co-worker for using her own empty classroom to express milk twice daily.

While there may be no law protecting women's rights to express milk at work,
there may well be regulations pertaining to the right to freedom from
harassment, whatever the reason.  Does OSHA or its state affiliate speak at
all to the psychological/social work environment?  Does her school district
have any regulations about harassment?  Regardless, her union, at least,
should be interested in the problems she is having and ought to be willing
to be there for her.

What does the law say about the right to eat or urinate and defecate during
work hours?  Are these accepted uses of breaks specifically mentioned, so
that any other use of free time is forbidden, or are 'breaks' just
non-specific rights, and it is up to the employee to do as they please
during them?  How about the right to smoke during work hours?

I bet anything the law doesn't protect her co-worker's right to offend her.
It would be good for her to describe very specifically in behavioural terms,
the nature of what she perceives as harassment, i.e. public comments,
peeping, sabotage by removing pumped milk from a refrigerator?  And if there
are other who can corroborate the behaviour, so much the better.

In Norway workplace harassment is recognized as an area where many
work-related illnesses start.  Since illness is largely a public expense,
there is public interest in doing something about the causes.  Physical
safety is well regulated, but emotional safety is also defined for employees
here, and the responsibility for ensuring a safe environment for employees
is placed squarely with the employer.  We have numerous court rulings
supporting that interpretation, (none related to breastfeeding that I know
of).

Hope she pursues this.  It could have implications for many others.
Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html