Babies in the workplace.

I had to speak to BT technical help line last week. It was difficult for me to concentrate with his young child screaming in the background. I feel that we are paying more and getting less customer care.

That's a good point, MissA.

I know,someone who works in a nursery.
During school holidays the whole of her wages are spent on her own two children attending her workplace.
It's not as simple as popping along with them.

It is subject to health and safety, fire, and other regulations, and is based in the child to staff ratio in order to fulfill these criteria safely.

My Sister was a Ward Sister on a Special Care Baby unit. After her own Maternity leave, she had to employ an Au pair as her OH was sent away on a long deployment. She had to get someone to be there for the baby when she was on lates and Nights.
Worked a treat, at that time it was comparable with other child care cost, and she had a spare room.
So I'm sure a MP could sort something out.

I agree that Zoom meetings and working from home have changed the working landscape. When I posted yesterday, I wasn't seeking to make a judgement about bringing babies/children into the work place, I was just querying the logistics of that, or pondering on how I would have managed that back when I had my children. Whilst babies are indeed very transportable, in either car seat or sling, that's not the problem, it's the whole palaver of feeding which sometimes took ages before settling, only to be repeating that process sometimes not so long after, which made me wonder how in my case what would have been achievable in my job and how, as others have said, you can possibly concentrate on both. Later on there's the crawling around stage, eyes in the back of your head required, gurgling and louder noises which wouldn't be conducive when talking to clients or concentrating on correspondence. That's without the interminable teething/earaches and generally under the weather days accompanied by all the noises that go with that. A couple of posters have cited jobs where the baby could slot into the working day simply because their working environments were child orientated, mine certainly wasn't. What of colleagues? I can't imagine even if they are parents too they would want all that around them on a day to day basis. That was just my scenario, but there are a whole gamut of jobs where having a baby or toddler in tow would hardly be practicable. On another thread about hygienists I'm just imagining, tongue in cheek, what that would be like dentist/hygienist poised over one's open mouth whilst simultaneously attending to baby. Yes the working environment has changed for some but there are still a helluva lot of jobs that are so hands on and where undivided attention is crucial and in any case it would positively be a dangerous place for the baby/child.

I think a lot of women do, so I suppose that's another consideration.
You wouldn't ever get a break from them if you took them to work.

I know this is a horrible thing to post but I used to love going to work part time when mine were little so I could leave them at home with their Dad

A zoom meeting is very different to having a baby in the actual workplace, anyway.
Then we have the issue of "a baby", what age is that?
Of course it will vary from child to child; do we then take into account everyone's personal circumstances, and write detailed risk assessments for all eventualities?

Hithere

I am constantly in meetings where kids, babies, dogs, cats can be heardin hearing background - they brighten up our day

Sometimes, parents have to interrupt the meeting to get something under control in their home

I take for granted how understanding people are and how tolerant they are.

I once went to a restaurant and a waitress had her daughter help her chores - it was so cute and no customer complained.

I, on the other hand, found it extremely annoying when my call to my bank was interspersed with the man soothing his crying baby and taking a small child to the toilet.

If the parents can't juggle hours between them, then the child needs to be with family, friends, childminder, nursery or at school, depending on age.

Childcare is very expensive around here (London borough), but I don't know the prices elsewhere.

Perhaps more state run nurseries, as we had years ago, could be a solution.

If you are talking a one off I imagine lots of workplaces would be flexible but as I say it's no long term solution to the issues of childcare. Countries which manage this well do not do it by mothers taking their children to work.
It actually distracts from real solutions which could be applied to all professions.

That is exactly why the whole childcare issue needs looking at in order to ensure everybody is kept safe and looked after.

I went to work with my mother when she was a cleaner.

Her other jobs, I was just locked out of the house all day on my own

I once went to a restaurant and a waitress had her daughter help her chores- it was so cute and no customer complained

And what if an accident had occurred, a hot drink spilled on the child or on a customer, it wouldn’t have been so ‘cute’ then.

I doubt if a child on the premises, not as a customer, would have been insured for any mishap.

Just realised that I was regularly taken to work with my mother as a baby and then once a week as a toddler until I went to school.

Also, once school-age I was collected afterwards by my father who took me back to his workplace with him - either until I was collected by my mother or until he was done at 6pm
- I had "tea" there quite often, for years.

Both were retail environments but both were also their own businesses.

I don't think I could have concentrated on much of my own work with a baby there - though maybe my second baby could have been taken along as for months he just slept and fed. One friend did ask me if he was ever awake as it was ages before she saw him with his eyes open.

How can you concentrate on what you are supposed to be doing if your little one is gurgling or screaming at you
I don’t know what job you do violetsky but how about if there were two or three people with autistic children or babies or toddlers or dogs or cats that ‘can’t be left’ all in your working group ?
Children need to be at home with a mother, a father or other family member or cared for in a crèche or nursery

Dogs and cats and pet lambs need to stay home

How can anyone concentrate on their work, no wonder the country is on its knees Babies take, deserve and need every ounce of a mothers attention not shoved under a desk

If both parents need or want to work full time, then proper childcare needs to be arranged, Most workplaces are not suitable for children - it's not fair on them, or others that work there.

Most of us, that worked outside the home, through those years, had to do it - it's not easy, but it's the only way.

Why should well paid MPs be clutching their children when the vast majority don't and will never have the opportunity to take them into work with us?
For the same reason that the first people to get an annual holiday took it, even though the vast majority had to work all year, or for the same reason that some people get company cars and others don’t? Where do you draw the line?

The only way things become normal for everyone is for some people to get them first, then others catch up. It’s not ‘fair’, but denying those who are able to do something (in this case maybe people with their own office and a flexible schedule) the chance to do something just because others might work in environments that would be dangerous to children (or are otherwise unsuitable) seems churlish.

Some working environments are never going to be suitable for children, but some can be ok in small doses, and I can’t see why one should cancel out the other ‘just because’.

The HoC creche and nursery is not open at the weekends or after 6pm.
Lots of voting happens after 6.

It is a ridiculous rule that you have to be there to simply walk through a lobby if you want to vote but can't carry your babe-in-arms through with you.
Voting remotely was ok during the pandemic. Let MPs vote remotely now.

Doodledog

It's not about being fair, though. If nothing happens for anyone until it can happen for everyone, no progress will be made.

I don't think it is feasible for most people to bring in babies on anything like a regular basis - as I said in my previous post, it's not fair on the baby, apart from anything else - but if the nanny is ill, or if there is an emergency of some kind, it could work for some people occasionally.

We need to look at how to support parents in general (ie not just mothers) so that it is possible to have a responsible job and be a parent. The HoC must employ hundreds of parents doing all sorts of jobs. It must be feasible to have a creche on site. If any employer with more than X number of employees was given a grant towards organising a grant, and employees with smaller numbers were encouraged to band together with others in the area, it would be possible for all parents (not just mothers) to access childcare in or near their workplace.

It's not about being fair, though. If nothing happens for anyone until it can happen for everyone, no progress will be made.

As you say further down it's. not feasible. But I shall stick my my fair. Why should well paid MPs be clutching their children when the vast majority don't and will never have the opportunity to take them into work with us!

There is a creche/nursery in the House of Commons. They're lucky. It is expensive but most aren't there all week I don't think. Also they're paid far more than the national average wage.

Also as someone mentioned earlier about having a child helping out at the cafe. Was there insurance? What would happen if the child was scalded. Or slipped on wet floor. All these things have to be taken into consideration. We have health and safety rules for a reason.

It would be lovely if we could access reasonably priced childcare but taking a baby into the House of Commons will never help.

MissAdventure

It's totally unworkable for plenty of job roles, so I don't see it as a huge step forward for womrn.
Only some women.

Precisely.

I could not have taken a baby into the environment where I worked and I can think of many other workplace environments which are not at all suitable for babies.

Or just give parents a childcare allowance to spend at their discretion?

I think I’d find it very distracting to have babies and children in the workplace. When I’m looking after my own GC I can’t concentrate on anything else, they demand 100% attention!

It's not about being fair, though. If nothing happens for anyone until it can happen for everyone, no progress will be made.

I don't think it is feasible for most people to bring in babies on anything like a regular basis - as I said in my previous post, it's not fair on the baby, apart from anything else - but if the nanny is ill, or if there is an emergency of some kind, it could work for some people occasionally.

We need to look at how to support parents in general (ie not just mothers) so that it is possible to have a responsible job and be a parent. The HoC must employ hundreds of parents doing all sorts of jobs. It must be feasible to have a creche on site. If any employer with more than X number of employees was given a grant towards organising a grant, and employees with smaller numbers were encouraged to band together with others in the area, it would be possible for all parents (not just mothers) to access childcare in or near their workplace.

It all depends where you work and what your job is . I could never have taken any of my children to work. Totally impossible. Husband the same

In fact most jobs would not be able to accommodate babies and children Had I been involved in a zoom meeting and had dogs and children floating around I'd probably be asked to get different employment. And same with my husband.

Most employers would not want their employees to be looking after children on the job.

So those working in the care industry, retail, rubbish collectors, road diggers, plumbers, electricians. The list is endless. You just couldn't be wandering round with a baby. Its just ridiculous. Unprofessional and downright dangerous. Health and Safety would have a fit.

But of course our wonderful MPs should be allowed to sit in Parliament with their offspring.

One rule for the rich and those in the more mundane/regular jobs can't

Hardly fair is it

Bringing the baby to work is no answer I am afraid and those bringing the baby to work will not be men

Just what I was thinking Galaxy.