McDonalds Sued For Allegedly Not Providing Areas For Breastfeeding Employees
Two McDonalds' employees are suing the fast food corporation for allegedly failing to accomodate breastfeeding mothers at their establishment.
The employees — Kathleen Faber and Lexis Mays — filed their suit in an Illinois federal court Wednesday.
The class action lawsuit claims the franchise and its restaurants do not provide adequate time, space, or rooms for nursing mothers, which they claim is a direct violation of the Providing Urgent Maternal Protectstion Act (PUMP).
The PUMP Act requires employers to provide reasonable break time for an employee to pump milk for their nursing baby, a designated pump location on site that is not a bathroom, and is shielded from intrusion and view from other employees.
These accommodations must be provided for at least one year after the child birth and be available each time the employee needs it.
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Faber and Mays both claim that having to breastfeed at work has caused anxiety, discomfort, embarrassment, and emotional stress.
The class action lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, reported that Faber, who resides in Kansas, was allegedly forced to pump milk from the corner of a stock room that is out of sight from cameras and male employees.
Mays also claims she has no privacy, having to pump from a back office that does not have a door and is wide open for any employee to walk in at any time.
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A similar class action lawsuit was filed against Wendy's for similar accusations.
The suit filed on Feb. 1 in the US District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, alleges without proper accommodation, mothers are forced to pump their breast milk in dirty bathrooms, stockrooms, or in their own car.
The Georgia native, Amanda Bazzett — who said she was forced to pump in the "crew room" — is seeking damages to compensate her for the harm she says she experienced, punitive damages, as well as a court order halting Wendy's restaurants from engaging in further violations of the PUMP Act.
