Babies in the Workplace

if her baby even squeaks." Nathan Schmidt, of Schools Financial, pointed out that, "A baby helps to create a team atmosphere." Kelly Rawe adds, "Everyone felt very comfortable talking and playing with the babies--it was almost like we all adopted [them]."

   Aside from the positive effect that having babies around can have on people's moods, it can also have a positive effect on people's treatment of each other. Most people instinctively rein in their tempers, minimize their use of negative words, and are generally more pleasant to be around when there are babies or children in the vicinity. Having babies around can bring out the best in people.

   Several companies also noted that, because of the babies, people seemed to talk more about personal issues such as parenting, which gave employees the

chance to get to know each other on a deeper level. Willie Jones commented that having the babies around was a learning experience for everyone at Magical Journey Bookstore. He said that both of the mothers who had brought their babies to work were "proactive and constantly talking about different stages of baby development." He said that, as a result,
the younger staff members, especially the men and even Willie himself, "became informed about things we might not otherwise have known."

   In our society, it is rare for single men--and even many single women--to have the opportunity to be around and to play with a baby for any substantial length of time. Debbie Butler commented that, at Valley Credit Union:

   The men in the organization will actually get
   most attached to the babies. When a baby
   graduates, it's the men who tend to say