| In the latest example of a company expanding its understanding of a work-life balance, six-month-old Hendrix has aged out of Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union’s bring your baby to work program.
Hendrix has been a fixture at the credit union for four months; his mother, Caitlyn Aguiar, assistant member service center manager, became the first parent to participate in the credit union’s Infant at Work program. Now that Hendrix is six months old, his time at the credit union has come to an end.
Jeanne D’Arc’s Infant at Work program allows moms and dads to bring their babies to work with them, up until the baby turns six months old or begins to crawl, whichever comes first.
No doubt caring for a baby while tending to work responsibilities is challenging; Aguiar, who has two other sons in addition to Hendrix, said the challenges were different than she anticipated, but were relatively easy to adjust to.
“You have to multitask no matter what you’re doing when you have kids, it’s a requirement, so it’s just a matter of figuring it out as you go,” Aguiar said in a statement. “I understood the challenges, but we’re adaptable, so we made it work and figured it out. I’ve been able to fulfill my duties and stay on track, and it hasn’t prevented me from doing anything.”
It’s difficult to overstate how much it costs – physically, mentally and fiscally – to raise children in 2018. Child care in some municipalities can outstrip the cost of private school tuition; it can take two salaries to put two kids through day care. Commutes are long and time available to spend with children is precious and short. Hendrix may not remember the six months he spent at Jeanne D’Arc, but his mother certainly will.
“We understand that for both babies and parents, having ample time to bond is so important. Our Infant at Work program gives them this chance,” Mark S. Cochran, president and CEO of Jeanne D’Arc, said in a statement. “We are thrilled with how successful the program was for Caitlyn and Hendrix, and we are very much looking forward to providing more parents in our organization with this opportunity.”
Very few mammalian species hand their infants over into the care of strangers at the age of eight weeks, but a human mom is expected back in the office as soon as her maternity leave is up – and parental leave extended to fathers is still a rare benefit in the Bay State.
Employee retention is vital, especially in the finance industry; Jeanne D’Arc is to be commended for supporting its employees – and the next generation thereof. Obviously not every work environment is suitable for such a program, but companies that can accommodate infants in the workplace should consider instituting something similar.
