Child's play
By Susannah Streeter Business reporter, BBC News
Weighing up whether to restore to work after the birth of a child can be a hard dilemma for parents, particularly when nursery costs in some parts of the UK are rising more than twice as quick as family incomes.
The Daycare Trust charity has just launched a consultation into how hard it is to find the right bendable and affordable childcare amid fears that higher costs are making more mothers reckon twice about going back to their jobs.
One firm in Tamworth, Staffordshire, has been so nervous not to lose valued staff that it has been allowing babies and toddlers into the office on trial days, while their parents work.
With their babies on their hips and wearing headsets, telesales consultants for Officebroker.com have been trying to win clients and keep their small ones pleased at the same time.
The scheme is growing in popularity in the US, where most states do not offer paid statutory maternity place and mothers restore to work much earlier.
With so many of his staff any on maternity place or plotting to start a family, Jim Venables, administration director of Officebroker.com, thought allowing parents to look after their babies at work was worth a trial.
”We find it hard to replace mothers who are taking maternity place, as well as persons who choose not to come back to work,” he says.
“It’s a real conundrum for us and I am sure for thousands of additional companies across the UK. So looking into alternatives or ways to support parents is always high on our agenda.”
Office ‘toys’
What was not on the agenda was the amount of dribble left on headphones, mouse mats and telephone wires at the end of the day.
With babies aged between four and 16 months on the sales floor, office gear became teething toys, and colleagues became babysitters.
Telesales consultant Rachel Lapins attempts to make calls to customers while jiggling four-month-ancient Finlay on her knee.
”It is a bit hard with my role, to be honest. I have had a few conversations and made a few inquiries while he was sitting on my lap,” she says.
“When he goes to sleep I can make a few more calls and get an hour’s solid work in. If he’s in a excellent mood I reckon it’s generally fine. But if Finlay’s in a terrible mood it may maybe potentially be hard.”
Emergency solution
While Rachel settles Finlay to sleep to the sound of ringing telephones, Fiona Spruce, the training administrator, talks through staff development plans, while nine-month-ancient daughter Grace tries to chew a calculator.
”My job is certainly more bendable. I can’t work to my full capacity but it’s not been as disruptive as I first thought,” she says.
“I don’t reckon I would want to bring her in every day, but as an emergency solution, if there was a childcare crisis, it would be fantastic to have the office as an option.”
But for Dean Ridsill, another sales consultant, bringing in one-year-ancient Harry to the office was an experience he will not be repeating.
”He was crawling around everywhere, trying to pull down wires, while I was trying to have conversations on the phone,” he clarifies.
“My colleagues helped out, and it was excellent for team-building I suppose, but he won’t be coming in again.”
The company may continue to allow younger babies in for odd days to help parents stay in touch during their maternity or paternity place.
But it is unlikely to be taken up as a long-term childcare solution.
The babies are just too distracting and the office gear would not last long.
First post:
dental establish centre
No comments:
Post a Comment