Amazon has apologised after a company boss was told she could not bring her breastfed-baby to a business course held in Fife.
Rachael Bews, co-founder of Nu Coton, told the company in advance that she would need to breastfeed her five-month-old daughter during the day.
In a LinkedIn post, Ms Bews said she received a call from Amazon while she was already travelling to the course telling her that the company could not accommodate her circumstances at the fulfilment centre where the programme is being held.
“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,” Ms Bews said on LinkedIn.
“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.”
An Amazon spokesperson said the company provides paid lactation breaks, flexible scheduling to support lactation needs, and dedicated, private lactation rooms for expressing milk.
“However, for health and safety reasons, we are unable to allow children under the age of six on any of our fulfilment centre sites,” the spokesperson said.
“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.
“We are reviewing our communications process to prevent this from happening again, and have invited her to join us at a future event.”
Ms Bews said the plan was for her husband to care for her daughter elsewhere on the Amazon campus while she attended the workshops.
She planned to leave to feed her baby when needed, and she said she wasn’t expecting to bring her baby into the fulfilment centre itself.
Ms Bews said she had already spent almost £80 on train tickets, and was travelling to the Dunfermline campus when she was told that due to health and safety requirements, babies and young children could not be brought on site.
“I burst into hot, sweaty tears,” she said on LinkedIn.
“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 added: “I’d love to see more organisations think about how leadership programmes and accelerators can be made accessible to breastfeeding parents, and those with care responsibilities generally. Opportunities like these shouldn’t become inaccessible simply because someone is feeding their baby.”
