Bringing Baby to Work: A Growing Trend
By Taylor Olson
During the last meeting of The Gavel editorial board, there was one noticeable addition: a two-month-old baby. In the middle of an intense discussion about important bar topics( wink wink), my twomonth-old baby woke from a deep slumber and let out a shrieking cry. I was caught. I hadn’ t planned on telling everyone we had a new member, but at that moment, my secret was out. My secret led to a discussion about bringing your baby to work, and the suggestion was made for someone to write an article on the topic.
There are numerous websites, articles, blogs, and even institutes dedicated to the idea of bringing your baby to work. You can find pictures of adorable babies sleeping peacefully next to their parent’ s desk or resting comfortably in Moby wraps during corporate meetings.
I had my daughter on Oct. 3, 2016, and was quickly summoned back to work. I am not a solo practitioner, but I am the only person who is able to conduct some of my contract work. I had daycare secured already at the daycare facility my two-year-old daughter attends, but did I really want to send a newborn baby to daycare with all of the germs of the older kids? I made the decision to bring my baby to work, cleared it with my business partners, and got back to work shortly after giving birth.
There are pros and cons to bringing your baby to work. Proponents of the idea state it fosters good relationships between the new parent and the company. It creates a sense of loyalty between the employer and the employee. It obviously gets employees back to work much faster than if they weren’ t allowed to bring the baby to work. Individuals participating have stated they are more likely to come back to work after six to eight weeks instead of taking a full 12-week maternity leave. Parents are motivated to make these programs work and tend to work harder when they are present. both parent and child is the additional bonding that ensues from the additional time spent together.
There are also problems created when bringing a baby to work, and the program isn’ t for everyone. In April of 2014, I gave birth to my first daughter. She would not have been a good candidate for the“ Bring Your Baby to Work” program. Some children do not have a calm enough disposition to be present in an office without distracting the other employees.
If this is something you are considering implementing at your business, there are numerous resources available to assist you in drafting policies and procedures pertaining to diaper disposal, baby meltdowns, and the like. There are policy provision examples you can adopt at your workplace. These policies have been created as a model after a few years of trial and error at other businesses. They closely govern the rules and procedures followed when bringing a baby to work and are equipped to handle some of the most common issues.
If you are a new mom or dad, I would encourage you to look into this option to see if it works for you. One good resource is the“ Parenting in the Workplace Institute.” It may not be for everyone, but it worked especially well for my baby and me. With a jumpstart on the legal profession, she may be writing briefs by the time she is 10!
Taylor Olson is a shareholder at Furuseth Olson and Evert, P. C. She practices in Williston and has a general practice. She is married to Jordon Evert and has two beautiful daughters, Dylan( almost 3) and Andilyn( 3 months).
It also lowers the parent’ s stress level when returning to work. The parent doesn’ t spend as much time calling and checking in on the child, worrying about the child, or checking the daycare cams. It enables working fathers to be more involved with their babies and provides a social network / support for the parents. Proponents say both baby and parent will be happier in the long run. It is also good for the baby’ s development as baby’ s brains grow faster in the first six months of their life. The programs allowing babies at work fulfill the child’ s need for social stimulation and growth.
One of the biggest pros, according to participants, is the money savings. The average cost of daycares is reported to be around $ 11,000 and, even in Williston, can be up to $ 16,000 per year per child. It would be especially beneficial to breastfeeding mothers: they could refrain from switching to the cumbersome pump for just a little bit longer( can I get a hallelujah on that?). Lastly, the biggest benefit for
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