Dunn County in beginning stages of developing “Infant at Work” policy
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
By LeAnn R. Ralph
MENOMONIE — Dunn County is at the beginning stages of developing an “Infant at Work” policy that would allow new parents to bring their babies to work with them.
“I think the ‘Infant at Work’ policy sounds like a great idea,” said Michelle Bachand, county board supervisor from Menomonie and a member of the Dunn County Health and Human Service Board, at the board’s November 21 meeting.
“Does that sound like something that would be on a case-by-case basis, whole days, half days, some work from home and some from the office?” Bachand asked.
The development of a policy “is in the early days,” said KT Gallagher, director of Dunn County Public Health.
The conversation has started, and sample policies have been submitted to Human Services to start the conversation, she said.
The county departments would have to make sure that clients are taken care of, that business needs are met and the needs of staff are met, Gallagher said.
“It is a great idea to meet the needs of the babies,” Bachand said.
According to the report submitted to the Health and Human Services Board, Women, Infants and Children (WIC) “would like to pilot an ‘Infant at Work’ policy in hopes the policy could be adopted by the Health Department and Government Center.”
The proposed policy would allow employees with new infants who return to work to bring their infant with them.
Being able to bring their babies to work would “support a positive work/life balance and [would honor] their contributions to the department,” the report states.
“Research proves that allowing a parent and infant to remain together in this earliest stage of life supports critical bonding, healthy infant brain development, parental well-being and enables exclusive breast feeding, which improves lifelong health. There are benefits to both the employees and the employers,” according to the report.
Benefits for employees include lower day care costs; better financial stability for young families; the employees feel supported; there is lower stress for parents; there are more options for women; breast feeding is easier; and an Infant at Work policy would allow parents to be more involved with their babies, the report states.
The benefits for the employer include employees returning to work sooner; it is an attractive benefit that can be used to recruit employees; there is increased retention of employees and lower turnover costs; there is increased loyalty and higher morale; and there are lower health care costs from increased breast feeding rates, according to the report.
