Amazon has issued an apology after Rachael Bews, co-founder and CEO of Nu Coton, was prevented from bringing her breastfed five-month-old daughter to a business course held at an Amazon fulfilment centre in Dunfermline, Fife. Bews had informed the company in advance of her need to breastfeed during the day-long programme.
Incident Details
In a LinkedIn post, Bews explained that she received a call from Amazon while already travelling to the course, informing her that the company could not accommodate her circumstances due to health and safety regulations. She had planned for her husband to care for their daughter elsewhere on the Amazon campus while she attended workshops, leaving to breastfeed as needed.
“I assumed they’d be able to accommodate me breastfeeding my baby during the day, with my husband caring for her nearby so I could fully participate,” Bews wrote. “I completely understand the need for strict health and safety rules in an active industrial environment. But the practical outcome is that I can’t take part on the first day because there isn’t a workable way for me to breastfeed my baby during the programme.”
Amazon's Response
An Amazon spokesperson stated that the company provides paid lactation breaks, flexible scheduling, and dedicated private lactation rooms for expressing milk. However, for health and safety reasons, children under the age of six are not permitted on any fulfilment centre sites. “We sincerely apologise to Ms Bews that our site access policy was not communicated clearly before she travelled to the event. That should not have happened, and we understand her frustration,” the spokesperson said. “We are reviewing our communications process to prevent this from happening again, and have invited her to join us at a future event.”
Impact and Reaction
Bews revealed that she had already spent nearly £80 on train tickets and was en route to the Dunfermline campus when she was told about the policy. “I burst into hot, sweaty tears,” she wrote. “I’ve packed for myself and my three children. Arranged childcare. Arranged pet sitting. We’ve travelled the length of the country, and now I can’t participate. Is this really where we are in 2026?”
She called on organisations to consider how leadership programmes and accelerators can be made accessible to breastfeeding parents and those with care responsibilities. “Opportunities like these shouldn’t become inaccessible simply because someone is feeding their baby,” she added.
