# should employees with kids get special treatment? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 4, 2013, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-employees-with-kids-get-special-treatment/651981 "2013-03-04T06:44:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-employees-with-kids-get-special-treatment/651981/81 "2013-03-06T01:18:37Z")
> [@miss\_elizabeth](#): > > Then quit. If you’re a great employee, maybe the CEO will change policy to keep you. > > Who are you to tell someone how they run their business? I wouldn’t tell a CEO how to run his business; I would indeed quit. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect to be able to work in an office that doesn’t have babies in it, though. There are some expectations that reasonable people have of offices - there will be desks, chairs, computers, networks, bathrooms, and no babies. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-employees-with-kids-get-special-treatment/651981/82 "2013-03-06T01:55:45Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > So you’re agreeing with me then - parents don’t need to get special treatment, because society as a whole won’t suffer if they don’t. 🙂 FLHOD says some awesome things, doesn’t he? Please keep posting them–although if you could post more of the ones about unicorns and mermaids, I’d appreciate it. RWLHOD said no such thing, although you may have been confused by the neologism “enshittify.” Lemme know if you need a definition. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-employees-with-kids-get-special-treatment/651981/83 "2013-03-06T02:11:05Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > That is indeed what I was trying to say; some people love kids and would love to work in an office with a baby in it every day, but some people (including me) don’t - if I worked somewhere where the CEO insisted someone bring their baby to work every day, I would quit, plain and simple. I just don’t see that as a choice that a CEO should be making for everyone. Do you work in some kind of worker’s collective where everyone gets a vote? The whole point of being a CEO is making choices for everyone. And most of the time, their choices mean you have to deal with a bunch of stuff you’d probably rather not deal with. That’s really the basic setup of “working for a living.” ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-employees-with-kids-get-special-treatment/651981/84 "2013-03-06T02:15:30Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I wouldn’t tell a CEO how to run his business; I would indeed quit. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect to be able to work in an office that doesn’t have babies in it, though. There are some expectations that reasonable people have of offices - there will be desks, chairs, computers, networks, bathrooms, and no babies. What about offices where there is an office cat? Does that strike you as equally objectionable? ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-employees-with-kids-get-special-treatment/651981/85 "2013-03-06T02:44:24Z")
This is why we need a popcorn smiley! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-employees-with-kids-get-special-treatment/651981/86 "2013-03-06T02:54:33Z")
> [@MandaJo](#): > > What about offices where there is an office cat? Does that strike you as equally objectionable? I bring my three dogs to work with me everyday. There is a fenced acre behind the business, and employees take them out for ball toss when things are slow and they feel like it. Everybody seems happy with things, but they were aware of working conditions when they accepted my job offer. I have 3 employees with me the entire 12 year life of the business, the rest are more recent hires. Most past employees left due to a major life change (moving, going back to school). Of course there have been a couple I should have never hired to start with. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-employees-with-kids-get-special-treatment/651981/87 "2013-03-06T03:02:06Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Do you work in some kind of worker’s collective where everyone gets a vote? The whole point of being a CEO is making choices for everyone. And most of the time, their choices mean you have to deal with a bunch of stuff you’d probably rather not deal with. That’s really the basic setup of “working for a living.” Do you work in some kind of employer’s fascism where no one is allowed to voice an opinion about such things and must simply quit or submit? A good CEO (or good boss in general) should be able to accept input from their employees on working conditions and take those opinions into account when they make their decisions. That’s really the basic setup of “a decent workplace.” ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-employees-with-kids-get-special-treatment/651981/88 "2013-03-06T05:13:29Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Do you work in some kind of employer’s fascism where no one is allowed to voice an opinion about such things and must simply quit or submit? A good CEO (or good boss in general) should be able to accept input from their employees on working conditions and take those opinions into account when they make their decisions. That’s really the basic setup of “a decent workplace.” “No babies on the jobsite” is part of the definition of a “decent workplace” for a lot of people. Pretty much everyone except said baby’s parents, I’d guess. 🙂 As for dogs and cats in the workplace, those are a minefield, too - too many people are allergic to or dislike/are afraid of dogs and/or cats. No one is allergic to no dogs or cats in the workplace - that would be your safe bet. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-employees-with-kids-get-special-treatment/651981/89 "2013-03-06T16:44:42Z")
It sounds like Mary is fucking the boss. I work with a couple of people that do more good being gone than they do there. When they’re there, I have to worry whether they’ll get things done or if I’ll have to pick up the slack at the last minute. When they’re gone they’re out of my way and I can just take care of things myself. You need to either adopt an attitude like that and know that she’ll lose her job long before the hard workers do, or move on. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-employees-with-kids-get-special-treatment/651981/90 "2013-03-06T16:56:44Z")
IMHO we should all get special treatment and consideration due to our circumstances. Having a child to care for that is one such circumstance, which being able to leave early is a good way to provide that. Perhaps the others could get other considerations such as bonuses, days off, better, more desirable aspects of the job, etc. depending on the person and their needs. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-employees-with-kids-get-special-treatment/651981/91 "2013-03-06T19:04:27Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > “No babies on the jobsite” is part of the definition of a “decent workplace” for a lot of people. Pretty much everyone except said baby’s parents, I’d guess. 🙂 > > As for dogs and cats in the workplace, those are a minefield, too - too many people are allergic to or dislike/are afraid of dogs and/or cats. No one is allergic to no dogs or cats in the workplace - that would be your safe bet. Maybe, maybe not. In some places I’ve worked – I’m in software development – people bring their children to work on occasion and nobody objects. It depends on the situation. Usually the critical factor is how many co-workers are also parents. If the boss is a parent, and most of the co-workers are parents, and the kid isn’t obtrusive, then there is just about never a problem. Sometimes my boss brings her kids to work and I don’t even know they’re there. They are playing quietly in one of the unused offices. ---
**Author:** ![tomcar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-employees-with-kids-get-special-treatment/651981/92 "2013-03-06T19:56:52Z")
The reality is that most companies are filled with gutless middle managers whose only concern is saving their own ass and exercising whatever minute power they have over other people. Also, literally no CEO cares about their employees. If they need you, fine. If not, f\* you. Businesses aren’t about good work environments, they are about making money. ---
**Author:** ![Greekfreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@Greekfreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greekfreak)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-employees-with-kids-get-special-treatment/651981/93 "2013-03-07T00:37:18Z")
Absolutely not. But you’ll hear from parents on this board who think otherwise. 😛 Nobody put a gun to their heads and forced them to reproduce themselves–cry me a river. Equally offensive is the “I live much farther away, so why doesn’t so-and-so take the shift?” Where you live should have no bearing on work preferences, all other things being equal. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-employees-with-kids-get-special-treatment/651981/94 "2013-03-07T01:18:53Z")
No. An employee’s reasons for wanting to leave early are irrelevant, at least to the extent that they are valid ones. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-employees-with-kids-get-special-treatment/651981/95 "2013-03-07T02:22:37Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > Maybe, maybe not. In some places I’ve worked – I’m in software development – people bring their children to work on occasion and nobody objects. It depends on the situation. Usually the critical factor is how many co-workers are also parents. If the boss is a parent, and most of the co-workers are parents, and the kid isn’t obtrusive, then there is just about never a problem. > > Sometimes my boss brings her kids to work and I don’t even know they’re there. They are playing quietly in one of the unused offices. I hate it when people bring their kids into work, but no one at work has ever heard it from me - people are not at all likely to protest about kids at work regardless of how they feel about it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-employees-with-kids-get-special-treatment/651981.md?page=4)