"We live in a society where too many people make workers choose--do you want to be a good parent, or do you want to be a good worker?"So says Kathleen Sebelius, the governor of Kansas. The Answer: Choose both. Governor Sebelius did when she brought her own infant sons to work when she ran her state's trial lawyer's association in the 1980s. Now she allows babies in the workplace at 21 state agencies.
She's not the only one. Austin, Texas-based advertising firm T3 was recently featured in The Independent and on "Good Morning America." This woman-owned multi-million dollar business represents clients from Dell to Marriot to MTV. And 47 babies have worked it at T3 since 1995. Says CEO Gay Gaddis,
We potentially lose too many great women out of the workforce who have to make that tough decision: "Do I stay home, or do I go back to work?" And if this is a segway to them being comfortable and those bright minds being able to stay...then I think it's something we should all consider.
Even lawyers get involved in the fun: the Tennessee Justice Center. These social justice advocates are more likely to wear superhero capes than the kind of lawyers with claws and fangs, and they let their babies join them in the office for up to a year.
Clearly it's not only the granola-eating, babywearing, recycled bag-toting crowd (Hey! Wait a second...) who endorses this practice. So why would employers be interested in this? Start with the Parenting in the Workplace Institute. Some of the common reasons are:
- Parental proximity. Mom or dad can respond to baby quickly.
- Stress levels. Cheerful, chubby babies at work can relieve stress, even for those not toting a tot.
- Earlier return to work
- Baby policy attracts like-minded employees.
- It seems to delight most customers.
- Higher productivity. Employers say that parent/employees often manage their time better around the care of their child.
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