KIT day - bring baby or not?

[AngryBirdsNoMore]

Hi everyone

when you did a work ‘keep in touch’ day, did you bring DC? He’ll be 6.5 months old, it’s this week.

I don’t have other childcare and that is presumably the norm. It’s a civil service HQ department if that helps.

thanks

If you're just having a quick catch up chat it will be fine but if you are actually working then no, as doubt your employer will have insurance for that.

It’ll be a series of catch ups through the day, almost exclusively with people more senior than me who I have worked with before.

No that’s not appropriate.
babies come for 30 min visits not paid KIT days - cancel the kit if you can’t get care

My manager is a very difficult person, so I don’t want her opinion, and my countersigner doesn’t have kids, so doesn’t have personal experience. I feel like my countersigner would probably say yes to be accommodating but I don’t know if she would actually mean it.

I thought KIT days were paid work days?

You can't take a baby to work. Obviously.

In these circumstances, no. I work in the City but have a really good relationship with my managers, and even then I wouldn’t bring my child in.

A quick hello to see my manager or colleagues, yes. Several catch ups with different senior people, no.

No. Ask your partner to take a day off.

No, not necessarily. As the name suggests, they are days where you keep in touch. In the past, I’ve claimed them for client lunches I’ve been invited to, a call to discuss a work matter where the firm will charge the client for my time, or any meetings to discuss my return to work.

Definitely not appropriate. If you were going in for say, a team buffet, fair enough. When my colleagues have done KIT days with multiple meetings either their partner's taken the day off, or baby has been with family or close friends. I have known colleagues on KIT days do shorter days, or take a long lunch to pop home and feed baby.

Obviously not.

My company is very progressive and family focused and I took my baby to KIT days. My husband took the day off and had them while I was in meetings but it meant I could be on hand to breastfeed and I actually did end up feeding her in one meeting.

This

No, absolutely not. It’s a paid days work.

No this is definitely not the normal expectation.
my experience is people pop in with the baby as a social unpaid thing for a quick visit. KIT days you are at work.

I didn't do KIT days because I didn't have anyone to have my baby until I came back to work properly.

It's a paid day, or half, at work. So I less your company policy is to bring children to work normally, then no.

You really do need to ask your manager whether you like them or not. You need to know the expectation. I brought mine to my KIT days but that was the norm where I worked.

Not if you are being paid. Fine to bring baby in to say hi and go out to lunch with friends, but a KIT day is paid work so you can't have your baby with you if you are working unless they have a creche or someone is taking care of them whilst you work. I've never heard of anyone taking their baby in. Can't you get a sitter/baby's dad takes a day off/relative helps out?

No, you leave your baby with your partner, family, or a childminder.

Well I’d be cross if my colleague on maternity leave didn’t bring their baby to a KIT day so I could sneak a cuddle.

You’re not meeting the minister, presumably, so if you explain you don’t have childcare I’m sure they’ll be fine about it (or suggest an alternative date if not).

No, it’s not appropriate.

I took my baby to 3 kit days (like group training) but I work in the childrens centres so I guess they have to be seen to be family friendly! It was also voluntary and I said I can come if it can bring her, if not see ya 😂

Think it's one of those that will vary hugely. I worked from home so when I did a few KIT days joining some calls saying hi and reading through updates and clearing my inbox.

I did have family look after the baby for a few hours on the first KIT day but did some more with her at home with me and managed fine as she was so young and slept / fed a lot. I probably wouldn't have taken her with me if I had to physically go in to an office though.

What on earth? Sneak a cuddle? Now, that is inappropriate too.