On Monday this week, our senior writer brought her exceedingly well-behaved six year old to work for the day. She lives in Whitby and her son had an optometrist's appointment nearby.
It wasn't the first time he's spent the day with us.
He's a good kid. Well mannered and well behaved. This writer is an exceptional Mom and a real asset to our team.
Flash forward to Thursday. Senior Art Director decides to bring his daughter to work.
Reason: she doesn't feel like going to school. This is an ongoing problem with them. This is the same six year old who stays up until 10 or 11 o'clock at night because she doesn't feel like going to bed, and when she does, she sleeps with the Mom and Dad in their bed. Therapist 911.
Anyway, daughter is the complete opposite of well behaved son. Bold, disruptive and loud.
More than this, Senior AD is not making her mind, and leaving the care and feeding of her to others.
The place felt like a daycare. Half my team spent their day keeping her entertained.
So here's the management dilemma.
On the one hand, you want to have a flexible and holistic work environment where your employees can be productive because they feel comfortable enough to bring their progeny to work. Yet on the other hand, rules are designed for people who take advantage of them.
I didn't say anything to Senior AD -- who I half suspect of bringing in demon child because our CD was out of town -- even though it was within my right.
What would you do?
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4 comments:
This sounds like the scenario they gave us at the day-long Myers-Briggs course I took once.
The "F" (feeling) people worried about hurting people's feelings, how it would look to others if they did something.
the "T" (thinking) people worried about the administrative and logistical consequences of their actions.
Both "T" and "F" reached the same conclusion - but the process to get to that conclusion was very different.
The conclusion was to say/do something.
You seem like a "T".
Say Something, you've already done the thinking.
If this is a chronic problem, then the situation needs to be addressed and ideally, through policy. It would be discriminatory to say “only well behaved six years old may attend the office”. If this is a sporadic or a one-off occurrence, then it’s probably better to say nothing – what’s to be gained? That's neither a T, nor an F, just a CYA.
might be good to wait and see if senior AD brings her kid in again. if not, then i wouldn't say anything. if so, it would merit an intervention, especially since the kid is disrupting other people in the office. and of course, i'd have no compunction about establishing policies that discriminate against naughty kids. why should their behaviour ruin it for other people who have good kids? but i'm the bad cop when it comes to this sort of stuff.
As a previous ACD who has brought her kids in more times than I can count, I think this is a case by case issue. People like myself who have needed and appreciated the option to bring in her kids would be unfairly punished for other employees lack of parental skills.
Children don't get the option to stay home because they don't feel like it.
Children who disrupt the office environment don't get to come in the office. Simple.
As difficult as it may be, a chat with Sr.AD about the level of disruption it causes when their child comes to work might be in order the next time they hopefully mention in advance.
I prefer the fun part of this job.
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