Babies in the Workplace

All of the companies that started pilot programs ended up continuing the policy for the long term, but it can often help improve initial acceptance for a company to present the program as a trial to make it clear that the program has to be sustainable for the organization as a whole in order for it to continue.

The more detail-oriented a company is in setting up a baby policy, the more likely a policy is to succeed. Although the babies-at-work books available on this site and the free template policy available on the Parenting in the Workplace Institute site should greatly minimize the risk of problems, companies should be prepared to tweak their baby program provisions as unforeseen situations arise and to refine their program to fit their particular corporate culture. These programs will not work for all job positions or for all babies--there are jobs which are not compatible with caring for a baby (for safety or logistical reasons) and occasionally there may be babies that are unusually unhappy (for various reasons) and that are disruptive to the work environment. As sad as this may be for the family, companies need to explicitly retain the option to request that parents in these situations make other arrangements for the baby's care. Baby programs can work for many businesses, many jobs, and most babies, but it is critical that a company be sensitive to the needs of everyone in the workplace to ensure long-term success and support of a baby program.