The ex-staffer claimed she was harassed and penalised for pumping milk at work
A former KFC employee in the US was awarded over US$1.5million after claiming she was discriminated against for pumping breast milk during work hours.
In the lawsuit, she claimed her boss had demoted her from assistant manager to shift supervisor, and “explicitly told” her that it was due to the practice.
The jury also found enough evidence for her claim that the restaurant provided a hostile work environment.
She said she was hired months after giving birth in 2014 but was not able to pump once every two hours or so, as is medically recorded. Instead, she was only able to do so once per her 10-hour training shift. She claimed the circumstances were so difficult, her milk supply dried up.
In addition, co-workers allegedly complained she got “breaks” to pump breast milk, reported the Delaware News Journal.
There was also insufficient privacy on the premises for her to pump – she had to do it at the single-stall staff bathroom or the manager’s office, which had a surveillance camera and constant employee traffic.
On top of the US$1.5million in punitive damages, she was also awarded US$25,000 as compensation.
