By Sarah Burns on February 6, 2010 in
Anyone who's ever juggled the work and family circus knows balance isn't easy to achieve. However, many offices have begun offering an interesting option. An increasing number of US companies are now allowing parents to take their children to work.
A crying baby in the next cubicle? Cute...or distracting? You be the judge, but know that this trend is growing.
For instance, one newly-established organization, the Parenting in the Workplace Institute, maintains a database of more than 125 U.S. companies that allow babies at work. Founder Carla Moquin says that she's constantly adding more.
How it works: Babies can come to work with their parent every day until eight months of age or crawling, whichever comes first. Allowing babies in the workplace costs an organization almost nothing and provides extensive benefits, maintains Moquin. "Employee retention and long-term productivity are higher. It also enhances parent-child bonding, allows more mothers to breastfeed longer and gives new parents and babies a built-in social network."
Additionally, a recent report from The Society for Human Resource Management found that 29 percent of businesses allow children (of varying ages) to come to the workplace. The core principle: Kids can't be disruptive and parents are still responsible for their work.
So, what is defined as "disruptive?" And what about the inevitable bottles, swings, carriers and cribs that clutter shared cubicles? Or the possible resentment of childless co-workers?
Not surprisingly, this topic is becoming a hot-button issue.
Have a strong opinion one way or the other? Share it with us.
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