twentyhood.

Babies in the Office?

Fri 06 Jun 2008 – 15.10

Baby in the office

Ok, picture how bizarre, stressful, frustrating, and demanding the modern workplace can be. Think of how much commuting sucks, how you can’t get any work done with distractions of co-workers, and how people are generally nuts. Now imagine all that with a baby in-hand!

There is a new trend emerging: babies in the office. More specifically, new parents aren’t taking months upon months of parental leave, but rather returning to the office for a normal workday … with baby. The move comes as a workaround for the lack of maternity leave in the US and Australia. (apparently, the US and Australia are the only two industrialised nations who don’t mandate paid maternity leave of any kind for new mothers. In Australia, at least you get 12 months to return to your old job, but in the US, the minimum is only 12 weeks before your position is up for grabs. I agree that it’s awesome for places like Sweden to send paychecks (if not tax refunds and actual sptiends) to new families, but at the same time, don’t have a bloody kid if you can’t bloody afford it.)

The reason I’m posting about it is because twentyhood is the time when many of us start a family. And while most New Yorkers will wait until their 30s, the planning phases begin a few years earlier. Bringing a baby into the office (especially if there are some actual facilities to take care of the baby) may be an attractive prospect for a young woman who isn’t quite ready to give up her career cold-turkey at age 26, or something. But how bizarre!

At any age, a baby can be a distraction. If you’ve ever been stuck on an airplace or bus next to a crying baby, the cuteness wears off awfully quick. Would you be able get work done with a baby in the midst? And what about the potential to infect that baby with one of the many common colds. And considering how much co-workers faff around talking about which salad they had for lunch, I can imagine a severe drop in productivity every time the baby does something noteworthy.

The article I found follows a new mother, as well as a set of parents, who are trying to figure it all out. It’s actually worth a read because this new trends is so very new and drastic. If you’re thinking about starting a family [and maintaining a career at the same time] then check it out.

•• Article Here »

posted by Scott in careers, health & fitness, life, relationships.