Bringing Up Baby at Work - Babies in the Workplace
According to the U.S. Census, about 25% of women quit their jobs after having their first baby. Between a mom's nervousness about leaving her child in the hands of family, friends, or strangers, and the difficulty of finding secure, affordable child care, it's a choice many women are forced to make, even if they love their jobs.
But suppose you could bring your infant with you to work during those first important months? A small number of companies are letting new moms do just that, and a segment that aired on NPR this morning took listeners inside a baby-inclusive company.
W.S. Badger in Gilsum, New Hampshire allows babies up to six months old in the workplace. They're the company that makes Badger Balm, a line of natural body care products; and in keeping with the spirit of the "family-owned, family-operated and family-friendly company," they instituted a workplace policy that supports working moms (and dads):
The idea behind the program is to encourage the baby/parent bond in its most critical time, the first six months of life. Most short-term disability benefits regarding pregnancies end after six weeks, leaving the parent to find childcare as he or she returns to the workplace. The idea behind “Babies at Work” is that the parent can bring the child to the workplace until a specified time – in most cases, until the baby is six months old or begins crawling.Anthony Brooks, who reported on the story, says "Only about 140 companies across the US allow babies in the workplace." Although the segment makes it clear that this would not work for every business, experts say that a clearly defined workplace policy is critical to the success of this type of program (such as Badger's own guidelines.)
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In our current day and age it is important for workplaces to provide their employees with as many opportunities as possible so that they do not have to make a choice between a successful career and being a good mother (or father). I congratulate companies who are able to provide such benefits to their employees and hope that others will at least work towards more workplace flexibility so the same purpose can be fulfilled. At the National Center for Policy Analysis, we believe the private sector should be able to offer flexibility in the workplace just like the federal government employees have.