The Babies in the Office documentary miniseries broadcasted this week on BBC2 have provoked a great response in the UK. Addison Lee, the Europe's largest minicab company based in London, tested the pilot phase of a program for parents of children under three years in it. The parents were allowed to take their children literally to their desks. They did not have to look for day care or stay at home on parental leave.
Programs known as "Babies at Work" are gaining more and more interest especially in the U.S. where they have official support from the Ministry of Health. They are applied in more than 170 companies in which the moms and dads take to work more than 2,000 children. Children under one year are constantly with their parents, the older children can be placed in corporate nurseries.
The project in Addison Lee was originally just a social experiment for the purpose of the documentary. However, it aroused such interest and proved to be so beneficial that it has been established as part of the company's formal HR policy in the London offices. Addison Lee became the first British company to introduce the "Babies at Work" scheme permanently. It values primarily the higher employee productivity and loyalty.
For more information about the program including the views of the participating staff visit the BBC website here.
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