Babies in the Workplace

about the baby screaming or whether they would be able to get work done. But it became a joy for everyone."

Brian Moline was an attorney at the Kansas Insurance Department when they first began their baby program under then-Commissioner, now-Governor Kathleen Sebelius. He admits that he was initially very resistant to the idea of bringing babies into the workplace. He was concerned about the public's perception of babies coming to work in a governmental agency. He was also worried about liability issues and whether people would be able to get any work done with a baby around.

Most of these companies felt as though they were alone in their attempt to start a baby program. Nearly all had never heard of another company that allowed babies to come in. When MAYA Design was considering whether to allow an employee

   Nearly all of the executives and managers from the businesses with baby programs, as well as many of the parents who participated with their babies, were initially skeptical that bringing babies to work could work. Most Americans believe that all babies cry for long periods of time, and so they naturally assumed that it would be impossible to get work done with babies around. Fran Oswald, a branch manager at Schools Financial Credit Union, admitted:

   When they first announced it--when it went
   live--I was thinking, "That's ridiculous. How
   do they expect me to run a branch with
   babies?" I just couldn't see it working. But
   they sold me on [the program], and I've
   been really happy with it.

   Susan Matthews of Borshoff Johnson Matthews, also said that her company had some skeptics: "People were worrying