Babies in the Workplace

Some women who quit their jobs soon after the birth of their babies discover a few months later that they miss the intellectual stimulation and social aspects of going to work, and many families experience a drastically reduced quality of life when they try to make ends meet with a single income. But often, by the time the true costs of leaving the workforce become clear to a mother, her former employer has already found a replacement. These women are then trapped in a situation in which they must spend large amounts of time and energy trying to find a new job while dealing with the challenges of a new baby. Some can't afford to pay for day care while they look for work, so their efforts are made even more complicated as they try to keep their baby happy while they search job listings, work on their resumes, and set up interviews.

   At the same time, their former employers have usually incurred tremendous costs in recruiting and training a new employee. Businesses also lose money from unavoidable down time as a new person is learning the job, lost productivity as other employees spend time orienting and training the newcomer, and the costs inherent in losing the experience and industry knowledge of the former employee.

   Many women find personal fulfillment in their jobs as well as in their home life. Baby programs give women the chance to make a more informed decision as to what arrangement really suits them best.

   Some parents do decide to stay home full-time in spite of the transitional effect of a baby program. But a baby program can
have a positive impact on that decision as well.