Rachel Bews was on a train to Dunfermline when the phone rang. A week earlier, she had told Amazon she would need to bring her 20-week-old baby to an in-person business course at the company’s warehouse – she was breastfeeding. Now, moments before she was due to arrive, the retailer said children under six were not allowed on site.
Bews, who runs her own business, had to turn back. She missed the face-to-face session of the six-week programme run by the online retail giant. “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 told BBC’s The World Tonight.
“Amazon bars breastfeeding boss from business course after refusing to allow her baby on site.”
Amazon later apologised, saying: “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 added that it does not permit children under six on any of its fulfilment centre sites – a long-standing health and safety rule for all visitors and employees. It said it was reviewing its communications process to prevent a repeat.
Bews said there was a lactation room at the event, which would have allowed her to express milk. But she had not planned for that, and had no sterilised bottles or equipment. She also noted that not every breastfed baby will feed from a bottle. “All events should really have good consideration to accessibility and inclusivity for all sorts of considerations,” she said.
She was offered the online part of the course, but said she had missed “the most important things”. Becoming a new mother while running a business is challenging, she added: “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.”
The NHS advises returning workers to tell their employer they are breastfeeding before their first day back. “If you're returning to work, education, or training after having a baby, you might wonder whether you can continue breastfeeding your baby. The answer is yes, it's completely possible and many women do it,” its guidance states.
Amazon’s founder Jeff Bezos has previously said artificial intelligence will create more jobs for humans, not replace them.