Babies in the Workplace

Babies in the Workplace  32

were still expected to complete their own work; they couldn't just babysit all day.     Designating specific caregivers also helps alleviate the risk of people being pressured to babysit who really aren't comfortable doing so.  Maria Rodriguez of Vanguard Communications explained that one issue she is careful with in her company is that people not ask those they supervise to watch their babies when they need to go to a meeting or leave for a bit. She said she has made it clear that when people ask others to watch their baby, that they ask someone who doesn't report directly to them. Otherwise, she said, "the employee might feel pressured to do it--they might be concerned about receiving a bad performance review if they didn't take care of the baby, when that has nothing to do with their work."

33  How to Implement

an unusually fussy baby can request a temporary transfer to a different area and that Valley will attempt to accommodate them.  Schools also has this provision in its policy (but has not yet had anyone ask for an accommodation). Designated Alternate Care Providers    Several organizations with baby programs required parents to designate two "alternate caregivers"--coworkers whom they trusted to watch their baby when they had to leave the baby for a period of time.  These coworkers signed a form acknowledging their willingness to do occasional baby care.  This gave parents the opportunity to carefully consider whom they wanted to help care for their baby and formalized these people's role in backing up a parent.  The organizations made it clear that these alternative providers