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Bringing a baby to a training course
The issue
Would it be discriminatory to disallow a request for a place on a one day First Aid training course for an employee who is currently breastfeeding? Would this constitute a breach of equal opportunities? Or is taking a baby on such a course ‘a step too far’?
The responses
Opinions are varied as to the most appropriate way of dealing with this situation. One suggestion is that the training might be deferred to a later and possibly more convenient date unless the need for training is urgent. Several contributors point out that the presence of a baby in the training room might be a distraction for the mother as well as the other delegates and, indeed, the trainers, and a First Aid course requires a high level of both physical and mental engagement from all concerned. The issue of the training course as a place of work is explored and the implications of this in terms of insurance, the provision of baby-changing facilities and the very idea of children being present in the workplace.
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