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

Of course you can’t take the baby! It’s a work day. KIT days are not mandatory, if you can’t find childcare then don’t agree to do one until closer to your return date, when presumably you’ll have childcare sorted.

If you're being paid then it should be treated like a normal work day. If it's voluntary, then I still wouldn't bring baby, but you'd have more justification for it if you did.

Absolutely not the norm! KIT days aren’t compulsory, if you don’t have childcare you can’t them. I’ve had colleagues bring the baby in when they’re calling in to say hi or meeting people for lunch etc - that’s fine and lots of people love giving the baby a cuddle. I have never heard of anyone bringing their baby in for a KIT day.

Never heard anything so ridiculous. Of course you cant

That's a completely normal attitude and turn of phrase in most companies I've worked in - woman brings in 8 month old baby, her mates gather round and take turns to give baby a cuddle. "Sneak" is a widely used term for some reason, but doesn't imply that it's done without the mother's consent.

Can the baby's father take a day off as leave to enable you to go in?

If you are being paid, then of course you don’t. Would you bring your baby into work on every other work days!!

If you want to show the baby off-go in another time when you’re not being paid.

No, if you want to show off the baby pop in a separate time. You’re paid for KIT and you won’t be able to catch up with anyone with the baby there!

KIT days are paid work days, so no it's not appropriate (depending on where you work obv). In my job absolutely not.

absolutely not. You'll be working, it's not a social visit

Pretty sure kit days are optional, I didn't bother with them.

Certainly not! It's a paid work day, you can't take a baby with you.

As others have said - if it was a quick pop in to say hello it might be fine (although at my place of work we can't even bring children in), but it's not appropriate for a series of meetings with senior people.

Also, if you have no back up childcare, start making a plan for some now. You will definitely need it at some point when you are back at work!

Definitely not. I did about 5 Kit days with each of my 3 kids. They were proper day's work that I got paid for. Having baby would have been completely inappropriate. If you don't have childcare you shouldn't do a Kit day.

No, KIT days are working days. Bringing the baby in for a visit is different. We had a baby in last week. Absolutely lovely hour and a bit, but not a KIT day.

I only did one KIT day. On another occasion I came in for a big lunch to celebrate someone's 20 years there. Brought the baby, didn't try to claim it as a KIT day.

Er, no - it’s a working day. You wouldn’t take your baby to work would you?

No. It's a day to focus on work and to keep in touch with what's going on. What happens if baby starts crying in the middle of the office? You're not focused on work then. You need to find childcare.

I think it very much depends on your company. I joined the Monday morning team meeting in my last mat leave from abroad and was able to claim that as a KIT day, despite just having a catch up with my colleagues for an hour.

I will probably take my baby into the office for a couple of KIT days this time - but that’s the nature of my office/industry that it would be fine to bring them in whilst you have catch ups.

I brought my baby in for my first KIT day. I had a meeting with my manager, with my mat cover person and spent time with my team. It wasn't a full day, but you get paid for a full day regardless of how much worked.

Can you email all of the people you will be meeting with and say (don't ask) just to let you know, I'll be bringing my baby that day. Then you don't have to discuss with your manager, who sounds awful...

It is appropriate at my work place, but there are dogs in the office and the whole place is very right on a relaxed. It sounds like it might not be at yours.

Absolutely not. a KIT day is a work day and it's totally inappropriate to bring the baby along.

When I did KIT days DH or my parents took the baby while I was working. They would hand out near the office so that I could pop over to bf when needed. It's not a big deal for someone to take a day off to help you when its only one day.

You don't necessarily get paid for a full day. That is employer's discretion. You're only legally required to be paid for the work time you actually put in, and then it's only the difference between your normal salary and the maternity pay you are getting anyway (so best not to schedule KIT days for days when you are still getting 90% of full pay). Some employers may choose to be more generous.

The thing that does count as a full day even if you only do an hour's work is the limit to 10 KIT days across your mat leave. You can't do 2 half days and count it as only one KIT day, but the employers can still just pay you for 2 half days.

Definitely not.

No

Im also working for civil service in an HQ role. I took my DD in for my first KIT day (which was a team in day), but only because they specifically said she could come, she was only 2 months at the time. The others I did not as they were more specific pieces of work and meetings with external people.
If I recall correctly, they will reimburse childcare costs... although i always wondered who would have any paid childcare in place on their first mat leave! My husband took the day off, or my mum came through to look after DD.