If employers supported nursing mothers, paid employees their hard-earned wages and prevented hostile environments within their control, legislation would not be necessary.

Unfortunately, the employment-at-will doctrine licenses employer abuse of vulnerable employees, and many employers take advantage. It’s high time that the Legislature take up the Murphy Court’s invitation to legislate (Murphy v. American Home Prod. Corp., 58 NY2d 293 (1983)). That’s not Big Brother, it’s Big Sense. Making the workplace safer for employees is not only the right thing to do, it will lead to greater productivity and better profits. It’s just too bad it took 27 years to begin the process.

Susan Ritz
New York, N.Y.