Baby in the Cubicle
by Kate Kahn - 21st April 2008
Remember those triangular "Baby on Board" signs people hung in their cars a few years back? Well the current sign might read "Baby in the Cubicle". According to the organization Parenting in the Workplace Institute, more and more companies are allowing new mothers to bring their babies to work with them for the first six to eight months. The baby's ability to crawl seems to be the cutoff point. Now, as a mother of two, I think that's very evolved. But as a working woman I'm thinking "are you nuts!"
I think mothers bringing their newborns to work isn't fair to the rest of the employees. What if the baby starts crying? Or Screaming? It's not like they're programable. (Actually, as far as I can tell, they never get to be programable! Reasonable, yes! Programable, no! But I digress.) I think it's distracting, for both the mother and he co-workers. I don't know about you but when I had my children I couldn't stop talking about them to others, and, when others oohed and ahhed over my babies I was only to happy to join in. It would have been hard for me to get much work done if I'd brought my babies to work until they could crawl.
I'm all for workplaces being more "baby-friendly". But I think there are ways to make that happen without having baby in a bassinet next to my desk. For instance, I think that more workplaces could create daycare facilities in their buildings. That way, if the baby needs to breastfeed the mom could hop downstairs for a bit. Or if the mom simply wanted to see her child, it would be an elevator ride down to do so. Everyone wins.
Now, the companies that are allowing babies in the workplace are doing so for a myriad of reasons---some value the mother as a worker and want to make sure she comes back, others realize that many women return to work before they're ready because they need the money etc. We may be one of the most progressive countries in the world, but we are way behind the eight-ball when it comes to maternity leave. We are one of the few countries in the world that do not have a federal law mandating paid maternity leave. According to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), your company has to give you 12 weeks of unpaid leave. And that's only if your company is a "covered employer" with requirements like 50 or more employees. Then, of course, you must be an "eligible employee". Compare that to countries in Europe which give anywhere from 14 to 78 weeks at either full pay or 80-percent of your pay. Talk about evolved! For a country that prides itself on family values, we sure don't put any heft behind those words. Our politicians need to get with it and create a law that mandates paid maternity leave. But they won't, unless they hear from us. Ultimately that's where the responsibility lies I suppose.
Anyway, back to the idea of bringing your baby to work until the darling can crawl. I guess if it works for your company and ALL its employees that's great. But to me, it seems extreme. How do you feel about the issue? Get your opinion registered. Answer the Question of the Week below.
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