At Spawn, we welcome brand-new hatchlings with open arms (quite literally), with a policy that encourages parents to bring their new littles into work with them until they’re old enough to crawl.
It’s a fantastic benefit for parents: “Being a first-time mom, it gave me peace of mind to know that when my maternity leave was up it didn’t mean my time bonding with my daughter was over,” says Art Director Amy, who brought her first daughter, Lily, to work with her from December through January.
But it turns out our “bring your babies to work” policy helps more than just the new parents. Here are five ways having babies in the office contributed to the work-life balance of parents –and everyone else! –here at Spawn.
Babies are:
1. Stress relievers
“Babies in the office are a great stress release because all problems can melt away when seeing a baby smile or hearing a little giggle.” -Michelle, Project Supervisor
2. Mood-Boosters
“Like a therapy dog, but therapy baby. It was so fun to hold them and walk around the office for a short break from answering emails.” -Emily, Media Planner
“I can be drowning in work but as soon as someone comes by my desk with a baby, I just can’t stop smiling (seriously, my mouth would hurt from smiling so much whenever I got to interact with them). And, who can really say they don’t love playing with chubby baby toes??” -Amanda, Assistant Media Buyer/Planner
3. Team- bonders
“It made me view my co-workers even more so like family because everyone was so generous with their time and ready to pitch in with babysitting duty if I had a meeting or deadline” -Amy, Art Director
4. Skill Builders
“Having a baby with me taught me how to work smarter and more efficiently. I’d learn to organize my task list to work with my “mom” duties. Feedings were a great time for me to read, naps were ideal for catching up on email, walking a fussy baby helped me work through ideas and organize my thoughts and playing with my baby helped me catch my breath and reground myself on what was important and what wasn’t” -Kaylee, Director of Strategy
5. Client Coaxers
“Almost all of our clients want to meet the babies as soon as they are able to come to the office. Because our clients are part of our family, it’s only natural that they want to share in the joy that the babies bring. We do have one client, in particular, who insists on having our meetings in our office so she can hold the baby (or babies!) during.” -Julie, Director of Account Management
With three new hatchlings already expected in 2020, it’s no doubt the Spawn team will continue to reap the benefits of having littles in the office. Congrats to Michelle, and Project Manager Jen (who’s expecting twins!), we can’t wait to meet your new additions!
Images courtesy of Art Director, Amy Adams.
