A breastfeeding business owner was unable to attend an in-person Amazon business course after being told her 20-week-old baby could not enter one of the company’s fulfilment centres because of its health and safety rules.
Rachael Bews, who runs a marketing business, said she had informed Amazon a week before the event at its Dunfermline warehouse that she would need to bring her baby because she was breastfeeding.
But she said she was told by telephone while travelling to the event that children under the age of six were not permitted on site, preventing her from taking part in the face-to-face session.
Amazon apologised, saying it had failed to communicate its site access policy clearly before she travelled.
“We sincerely apologise to Ms Bews that our site access policy was not communicated clearly before she travelled. That should not have happened, and we understand her frustration,” the company said.
Amazon said its long-standing health and safety policy does not allow children under six to enter fulfilment centres and confirmed it was reviewing how it communicates those rules to participants before events.
‘Missed networking opportunities’
Bews told the BBC she had been offered access to a lactation room where she could have expressed milk during the course.
But she said she had not planned to express milk because she expected her baby to accompany her, adding that she had no sterilised bottles or expressing equipment with her and that not every breastfed baby would accept a bottle.
She said missing the session meant losing more than just the course content.
“The in-person, face-to-face connections you make over coffee, the people you meet over lunch – there’s connections I could have made to maybe help my business,” she said.
Although Amazon offered her the opportunity to continue with the online elements of the six-week programme, Bews said the networking opportunities were the most valuable part.
She also called for organisations to think more broadly about accessibility when organising business events.
“All events should really have good consideration to accessibility and inclusivity for all sorts of considerations,” she said.
“It’s a challenging thing becoming a new mum, and being in business is a big part of my identity, so having access to these same opportunities is really important for me and a lot of other working and professional mums out there.”
Balancing safety and inclusion
The incident highlights the challenges employers and organisations can face when balancing health and safety requirements with efforts to support parents returning to work or running businesses.
The NHS advises women returning to work, education or training to discuss breastfeeding arrangements with their employer before returning, adding that continuing to breastfeed while working is both possible and common.
Many employers have introduced measures such as lactation rooms and flexible working arrangements to support breastfeeding employees. However, access to training, networking events and professional development opportunities can still present practical barriers for parents of very young children, particularly where workplace or venue policies restrict access for children.
Amazon said it was reviewing its communications process to ensure participants receive clearer information before travelling to future events.
William Furney is a Managing Editor at Black and White Trading Ltd based in Kingston upon Hull, UK. He is a prolific author and contributor at Workplace Wellbeing Professional, with over 127 published posts covering HR, employee engagement, and workplace wellbeing topics. His writing focuses on contemporary employment issues including pension schemes, employee health, financial struggles affecting workers, and broader workplace trends.
- William Furney
- William Furney
- William Furney
- William Furney
