Staples Co-Founder Complains That Allowing Women To Breastfeed At Work Will Cost Jobs

[kpete]

Staples Co-Founder Complains That Allowing Women To Breastfeed At Work Will Cost Jobs
By Marie Diamond on Feb 7, 2012 at 2:40 pm

Staples co-founder Tom Stemberg is speaking out against a serious threat to economic recovery and job creation: breastfeeding moms:

Tom Stemberg, co-founder of mega-office supply chain Staples is questioning an Obamacare provision that discourages job creation by dictating employers funnel their capital into lactation chambers.

“Do you want (farming retailer) Tractor Supply to open stores or would you rather they take their capital and do what Obamacare and its 2,700 pages dictates – which is to open a lactation chamber at every single store that they have?” he asked.

“I’m big on breastfeeding; my wife breastfed,” Stenberg added. “I’m all for that. I don’t think every retail store in America should have to go to lactation chambers, which is what Obamacare foresees.
http://cnsnews.com/blog/craig-bannister/obamacare-dictates-retailers-open-lactation-chamber-every-single-store-staples

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/02/07/420595/staples-co-founder-complains-that-allowing-women-to-breastfeed-at-work-will-cost-jobs/

[SheilaT]

1. Wow. I wonder how many women

at any given time are working in retail and breastfeeding.

I'm being reminded of the justifications in the 1960's, which I'm old enough to recall quite clearly, about not hiring women for jobs because of course they'd get married an leave. Or not hiring married women because of course they'd get pregnant and leave.

God forbid a woman who is currently breastfeeding and wants to return to work also wants to continue nursing.

[jeff47]

2. Whelp, time to shop at OfficeMax (nt)

[Demonaut]

3. it'll cut down from workers having to eat out for lunch

[Enrique]

4. omg "lactation chambers"

[unblock]

6. you gotta admit, they know their marketing. only repugs could make breastfeeding sound like torture.

[unblock]

5. unblock and breastfeeding women complain that stupid ceo comments will cost sales and jobs.

"duhhrrrrrr, i'm a stoopid republican kool-aid guzzler ceo! care for a heavy dose of neanderthal politics with your office supplies?"

[kysrsoze]

7. Yet one more reason not to shop at that shithole.

I already hated Staples enough to never go there again.

[DCKit]

8. Oh, teh drama! Next up, "The Boobs that Ate Staples"

Obviously, the Obama Administration is going to demand that these "lactation chambers" be built to the standards of any 5-star hotel. It's only a matter of time before squatting breast-feeders move in and take over the joint.

It's a slippery slope folks. It's got to be stopped now.

[Politicalboi]

9. If the right wasn't so offended

Of a woman breastfeeding in public, we wouldn't even have to have lactation chambers. It's their perversion of it that caused all this.

[BlueIris]

10. Oh, yes, I'm sure they're being forced to create such luxurious environments for these employees...

Those dreaded "lactation chambers" will probably be parts of the stores' back rooms or storage areas.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

21. The one where I work is like a doctor's office room without the exam table.

It has to have a comfy chair, table, fridge and a place to clean up both herself and the equipment. And the women have to clock out in order to do it, which seems contrary to labor laws, but they get one extended break and their lunch. Anything else has to be clocked out for. So, essentially these moms get no lunch break and no break from work, just work and pump. Seems wrong. And what is worse is HR is run by women.

[LiberalEsto]

11. Oh, fer heaven's sake

I managed to breast-feed each of my two daughters while working full time as a reporter at a major newspaper. Didn't slow me down a bit. I was in a 2-person bureau and I just waited until the other reporter took a lunch break, did my pump thing, and that was that.

All that's needed is a small break room or something.

[Initech]

12. Has he read the "Obamacare" report? I think they're making this shit up.

[pinboy3niner]

13. Somebody's been sniffing the printer ink again

What a bozo!

[Dawson Leery]

14. Stemberg and his puppet Romney support slave labor.

[niyad]

15. isn;t staples one of the companies created by bain capital?

[HubertHeaver]

16. Tractor Supply would designate the room a

Milking Parlor rather than lactation chamber.

Is Tom Stemberg that ignorant of retail operations? Re-arrangement and remodeling of current stores is a store-specific internal item. Store-opening is a corporate item.

[Cairycat]

17. Well for one thing if we had reasonable maternity leave in this country

That would take care of some of the need. The law says that all an employer needs to provide is a room that can lock, and is not a restroom. Furthermore, businesses with less than 50 employees are exempt, as are businesses who find meeting the requirements an undue hardship.

And besides that, Mr. Stemberg, supporting breastfeeding by your employees will save you money in the long run, because breastfed babies tend to get sick less often, and there are studies showing positive effects from having been breastfed on into the school years. Mothers who breastfeed have lower rates of breast cancer.

Twenty-one years ago, my boss helped me find a custodial closet. It was well lit so it wasn't bad. The only amenity it lacked was a sink. But I managed to feed my daughter mom milk exclusively for 6 and half months, and she got solid food and mom milk for a long time afterwards - never needed to use formula. A helpful boss and my own determination were what made that possible.

[SalviaBlue]

18. I guess he thinks only women who have the luxury being stay-at-home moms

when their babies are breastfeeding age should breastfeed. Pig.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

19. the asswipe lost me at "Obamacare"

Note to self: LOTS of places sell pencils, paper, and staples. Don't go there.

[eShirl]

20. You'd think a Giant Boob like that would be all in favor of nursing lounges.