Company Lets Workers Bring Babies To Office
February 8, 2011 by N/A
Company Lets Workers Bring Babies To Office
POSTED: 9:35 am CST February 8, 2011
UPDATED: 9:47 am CST February 8, 2011
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City company has a secret weapon for keeping its highly trained employees. At the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, babies up to 6 months old are welcome at work, KMBC-TV reported.
“I can continue to bond with her. That makes it good, and also helps out on day care. I don’t have to worry about day care for the first six months. And just being able to watch her grow and change every day instead of missing out on that,” said Natasha King, who brings her daughter, Elizabeth, to work.
The NAIC chief operating officer Andrew Beal wondered how such a program would work but said it has become his secret weapon for hiring and retaining the best employees.
“One of my initial reactions was, ‘What do you do when a child is really being cranky or noisy, and doesn’t that cause a disruption in the workplace?’ We’ve never had a complaint here at the NAIC about a child being too disruptive. It’s amazing to see how well the employee can juggle the workload, as well as taking care of the child,” Beal said.
The NAIC has had infants in the workplace for a decade now — more than 100 babies.
Gaby Tharp brings her son, Kevin, to work. She said he sleeps a lot, and she has no trouble getting her work done.
“My co-workers are great. I haven’t heard a complaint. Even when he’s a little fussy, nobody complains about it. Actually, everybody comes around when they’re having a stressful day,” Tharp said.
Noreen Vargara is pregnant. She brought her first child to work and she has signed up to do it again.
“It takes a tremendous load off. I have more time to look for child care, for someone I trust. It’s a great program,” Vargara said. Starr Hartnett came back to work sooner after her son, Qhorin, was born because she said she knew he could come to work with her.
“It makes it a lot easier just knowing I don’t have to worry about who he’s with or anything for the first six months,” Hartnett said. Workers at the NAIC said that it has made the staff one big family. The biggest downside to the program is saying goodbye when babies turn 6 months old.
“I’ve been with him 24-7 for the last six months. But I’m really grateful I had this opportunity,” Tharp said.
The NAIC has made national news for its family-friendly work environment. Beal said that if more companies could see how the infant program works, he believes more would give it a try.
On The Internet: If your company is interested in setting up a similar program, visit BabiesAtWork.org which outlines how to get one started.
