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

Oh

I misunderstood the KIT thing.
My visit was just that, a visit

I think it really depends on the culture. I posted further up to say I work in the City, but my KIT days were not full days of work, but rather meeting a client for lunch, or meeting my manager to discuss my return to work. On the odd occasion where I did work, it was maybe an hour’s phone call and so because of that, I would time it around nap time.

However, if it was a full day, then again, it depends on what is happening on that day. A day full of client Teams calls, then definitely need childcare. A day of reading into matters, then they wouldn’t expect me to be glued to the screen and can work around baby.

I would say it depends on the nature of the work and the firm’s culture.

One of the offices at my work doesn't allow any under 5s in the building

I had my daughter during COVID and a lot of my kit days were remote. Even the Christmas party was a challenge with my daughter there. The plan was that I would do my kit days during the last 6 weeks of mat leave when my daughter was in nursery 2 days a week but in the end I was too unwell with pnd to use them

This is creepy. With the day you describe, you can't take the baby.

My husband took the day off when I had a KIT. I feel the whole point is to put your work brain back on again for a day. No way could I have concentrated on catching up on what was going on with work stuff with my baby with me.
Not all fathers are involved and of course some will work off shore / army deployment but I’d say the vast majority can take a day off if the KIT date is flexible.

KIT days weren’t a thing when I had DD but DH took the day off on my first day back from mat leave. It made things so much easier. I’d forgotten about it until reading this thread.

I literally just read this title of this thread and went pardon???

KIT are paid work days. Have a day off from being a mum! Enjoy it!

Blimey! I never knew cuddling babies would be so controversial!

I was being lighthearted as I’m a director and was previously a senior civil servant and care about role modelling a family friendly workplace. When I’ve had KIT days with my staff they have been informal opportunities to share news on what’s going on across the business and allowed staff to discuss their intentions on return so there is a smooth transition. They also will usually meet with their wider networks and probably fit in a social lunch etc.

No babies have been manhandled, no children ripped from their mothers, no offices disturbed. But I want my staff to feel comfortable that if they do need to bring children it’s no big deal - because it isn’t and returning from maternity leave can feel hard enough.

But it seems different work places have different expectations of keeping in touch. So I guess the only option is to ask as there is no prescribed way.

Christ. Why do you think it’s ok to bring a baby into meetings? Why do you think it’s ok to bring a baby into work and get paid for it?

I only did 2 KIT days as that’s all I could get childcare for.

“When I’ve had KIT days with my staff they have been informal opportunities to share news on what’s going on across the business and allowed staff to discuss their intentions on return so there is a smooth transition. They also will usually meet with their wider networks and probably fit in a social lunch etc.”

So this is what I anticipate my day being like, I think. A meeting with my CSO, a meeting with my manager, a meeting with another two senior people whose teams I could be going back to (these aren’t interviews or anything, it’s just the structure has changed since I went on maternity leave). They’re all senior civil servants but I’m the level just below SCS and have been an acting SCS in a previous role (as my SCS’s own maternity cover) so it’s not like they’re mega senior people who I need to impress. I’m saving meetings with my Director General contacts for a bit closer to my return date.

Lunch will be most likely with the baby’s godfather - an SCS in a different department and my best friend. So a social call.

It is a pretty relaxed workplace. Team members have had sick children on calls before for example when they have been balancing caring for a sick child with their partner, and that has been fine as a one off.

There is such a range of views here - I didn’t realise some people would think it was totally ridiculous as an idea, for example!

I have emailed my boss and my CSO’s PA to ask them what the norm is and what is frowned upon. If they say he has to be in childcare, I’ll rearrange for a day when DH can take a day off. Unfortunately he can’t on my planned day as he has a day of external client meetings.

Thank you everyone, especially those who haven’t called me ridiculous. I have crippling PND - like, at the extreme end - and it has impacted my judgement and made me doubt myself, so I appreciate the advice.

Ha, that’s one approach! I remember feeling very free on my first day of work after DS1 was born 😂

@SuperDopper

No, not necessarily. As the name suggests, they are days where you keep in touch

'As the name suggests'

They absolutely are paid work days.

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.

If you were not paid for these days you need to take it up with your workplace

KIT absolutely are paid work days. What you do is irrelevant. You should be paid.

Anyway my point was that as it's a paid work day you don't take your baby. Surely you didn't?

What on earth are you on about? Did you even read my post properly before jumping down my throat?

My point was you don’t necessarily need to do a full day’s work to claim a paid KIT day…