Bring Your Child To Work Day - yes or no?

[MumsnetJobsTeam]

Many companies have Bring Your Child To Work Day, where parents can show their children where they work and give them some experience of the workplace.

On one hand, these days can be an opportunity for children to learn, as well as find out more about their parents' lives. They can also make parents feel more supported in the workplace as their children are positively acknowledged and encouraged.

However, some say Bring Your Child To Work Day could be challenging for those who have lost a child, or are struggling to conceive. There are also some who think the practice isn't worth the potential drop in productivity - particularly for childless colleagues who are distracted, whether they like it or not.

We'd like to get your thoughts on Bring Your Child To Work Days. Are they a fun, useful opportunity, or something that should be approached with caution? And if so, what could companies do instead?

A properly organised day with activities etc, fine.

Kids just loitering about the workplace - absolutely not. It's really not fair on those who don't have kids and have no interest in them to be subjected to the noise, distraction and irritation of other people's children in what is supposed to be an adult, productive environment.

I could not think of anything less productive. My workplace has a staff nursery and pre school. It is heavily subsidised and on site. I find that shows enough that my workplace value me and see me as more than just someone to earn them money. Sometimes, if traffic is particularly good, I arrive before the nursery opens. So I bring dd to my room whilst I work until I can take her down. And I just spend that time stopping her from breaking things. I couldn't think of anything more stressful than having my toddler there for a full day.

Not in my line of work!! We often have convicted sex offenders in and out of the building.

I think they should do 'send your child to someone else's parents' workplace' (but run at a less personal level, so really a little smorgasbord of employment tasters) so that rather than serving to cement social capital and lack of same, it opens children's eyes to the range of possibilities that exist out there.

So many professional roles, beyond the very obvious professions, are completely invisible to children whose parents or their friends don't work in them. Its hard to aspire to someting you've never heard of.

lottiegarbanzo I agree with that - some professions are incredibly nepotistic, not through any deliberate cheating but because of proximity.

Medicine is an obvious example - relevant work shadowing/ experience and tips about medical school applications and interviews from current doctors are a massive advantage to an aspiring medical student, and many doctors are very helpful at mentoring the up and coming - but the young people who benefit are their own children or nephews and nieces, and the closest friends of their children or the children of their own closest friends. It isn't intended to be exclusionary, yet it works that way.

The same is doubtless true of many professions and jobs which "run in families" despite not being physical businesses or farms passed on from generation to generation.

I know my eldest would love that and I'd be happy to bring her. However my youngest has ADHD and other behavioural problems, so it's not feasible to bring her. To her it would be another confirmation that's she's different. But why should my eldest lose out. For me it would be lose lose situation.

Depends on the job!
I work in primary schools do my toddler would love it! Not sure we would get much work done though

If it's for children over a certain age and in a suitable environment then great.

I understand not bringing in babies or very small children to a workplace where people who are struggling with fertility might be upset but are older children such an issue?

It would be dangerous if I took my child to work. Imagine letting an 8 year old loose in a laboratory

I can only talk from my experience. My mum bringing me to her workplace on ‘bring your daughter to work day’ made me consider the career I am in now. She worked in telecoms engineering and I was encouraged to go to whichever team I was interested in learning most about and for me that was the internet. I now work in a very specialist area of finance where my early understanding of internet infrastructure has really, really helped.

@Fuckmyliferightnow - depends on the lab I guess. I know a great many pharmaceutical labs in India run by the likes of Glaxo etc that do encourage the 5-16 yo kids into the labs on bring your child to work days. In fact many of the newest crop of scientists at my sil’s lab have parents who work as drivers / maids / tea ladies at the company - without the bring your child to work day their child would probably have never had the early work and educational experiences / connection building to build such better careers than their parentsz

@GrumpyHoonMain it's a Medical Laboratory

I think its a good thing but agree safety measures have to be put in place. I work in medicine manufacture & much of the facility is graded clean rooms however my work do a family day for children 8+ usually on a sunday once a year. The event is outside in a marquee with lots of activities & then they do 2-4 tours of the factory on the day where all guests have to gown up & wear over shoes the kids love it! Its great as it gives them a chance to see what we do! Disruption is minimised due to the main event being outsdide & the tours are scheduled times so as to have the least impact on production & the best experaince for the children/family!

I think its great & i would have loved it as a child however my work is quite intresting & in a sector that isnt commonly known to children, if i worked in an office 9-5 i probably wouldnt jump at the chance to bring my kids!

Also, i think its ridiculous to think twice about a corporate event that opens the minds of children into different careers just because someone in the workplace might be stuggling to concieve, and that is coming from a person whos 2 years into struggling to concieve!

Housing officer, so wouldn't really work for me. I am often dealing with people with multiple complex needs, it can unfortunately be a volatile environment at times.

The point, as other posters have said, was to encourage girls to consider industries that they would otherwise have not. I think it's really important still - it's remarkable how little my teenage daughter actually understands about the many STEM careers that exist. Although the school tries hard with workshops and activities around those subjects, it doesn't translate to 'here's what a product designer/engineer/statistician actually does and you could do this too.' There is still a huge amount of overt and covert socialisation of girls towards the arts, teaching etc.

I’d be right up for a bring your dog to work day if it meant I could play with the dogs

Absolutely this!

Some of my office based employees bring their children into the office now and again when they have childcare issues, or waiting for pick ups etc, but the children tend to be school age rather than baby/toddler and stay in the outer office/reception area. We wouldn't allow a child under aboutn15 to come out in the field with us although we do support work experience - but through working with local schools and colleges in order to be equal.

I wouldn't support a random bring your child to work day though as it is not appropriate to have a child in the office all day.

I would love to be able to take my daughter to my work to show her what mummy does all day!

Also, i think its ridiculous to think twice about a corporate event that opens the minds of children into different careers just because someone in the workplace might be stuggling to concieve, and that is coming from a person whos 2 years into struggling to concieve!

I agree, and coming from someone else struggling to conceive. In the nicest way, but you cannot avoid children for the rest of your life so to not trigger something if you are TTC. It's like someone losing their husband saying they can't look at husbands or be around them as it might trigger something??!

You need to learn To be strong in situations like this, the world isn't going to pander to your emotions.

Although I do think bring your child to work day is unnecessary generally speaking.

It's not an employers job to open children's eyes up to their career choices

You need to learn To be strong in situations like this, the world isn't going to pander to your emotions.

No, but sometimes it is nice if people actually thought about how infertile people are feeling. Or even those who are childless through choice. Work is generally an adult environment and should be kept that way as much as possible.

It's not an employers job to open children's eyes up to their career choices

Isn't it? Children are choosing which subjects to do from about age 13. This can limit what careers will be open to them. Employers will need new employees as time goes on. We need some children to want to work for us in the future - that's less likely to happen if we are just an anonymous office block. Plus there is the Gatsby benchmarking. Schools can't have meaningful encounters with businesses if businesses won't engage.

In Israel lots of companies allow staff to take their dogs to work every day. I know of a small company there where around 15 dogs come into the office every day. Their staff handbook includes a Dog Policy.

Wtf have dogs got to do with this? It isn't a thread about taking children to work as an alternative to childcare, hence dog owners wanting in instead of paying for doggie daycare, it's about exposing children as future salaried employees to the world of employment. Unless the dogs are going to grow up to be employees they're no more relevant than taking your happily retired with no intention of returning to work 89 year old mum to work...

Read the thread why don't you. And get a life.

Torchlightt I've read the thread and there's no reason to make it about dogs.