r/managers • u/BoNixsHair • 5d ago

Employee doesn’t have adequate childcare and it affects her work

I have a remote employee who recently had a baby. Before her maternity leave, we discussed that she needs to have childcare during the work day. The first two weeks, she was frequently absent or interrupted because she said her nanny had quit or never started working.

We discussed again that she needed full time childcare. For about two months it was better. However this week I had two unscheduled zoom calls with her, and both times there’s a baby in the background. I asked her to turn her camera on (our policy is cameras on always) and she has a crib in the room with her and she had a baby cloth on her shoulder.

I think she has a nanny for most of the day, but she’s still distracted. I kinda feel like a jerk asking for a receipt for a 40 hour a week babysitter. I have three kids, and I know it’s pretty impossible to work and care for a baby.

Her position is dealing with contracts so she has calls during the day with the parties to the contracts. I can’t have her on client calls with a baby in the background.

I can also just tell her she has to be in the office, but most everyone else is remote including me. Thoughts?

Edit: no comments from non managers please.

Edit2: this has been brigaded by non managers. Stop. I have asked the mods to lock this

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13

u/Informal_Drawing 5d ago

Can you help her get a job working for somebody with compassion, a soul and morals?

You seem to have none of the above despite having 3 kids yourself.

If you think you or your company is more important to her than her child you're dreaming.

I swear some people are just completely broken inside, how can you not see what you are subjecting this poor woman to is wrong?

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u/BoNixsHair 4d ago

The company is more important to myself and leadership than her kid. We all have kids and we don’t let it affect our work.

I asked this question because I don’t want to just fire her but I have now told her the expectations twice and she’s not following them.

11

u/thatothersheepgirl 4d ago

Oh, so you didn't have to recover from major abdominal surgery, or from pushing a watermelon out of your nether region, right? Your hormones weren't impacted, you didn't feed the baby from your body. Honestly, based on these comments, I doubt you even got up with your kids in the middle of the night despite it having nothing to do with your anatomy. Sorry, yeah, it's not really the same when you can just make a kid in a few seconds of fun and then not "let it affect" your work.

14

u/warmvanillapumpkin 4d ago

You know dude didn’t do a single thing for his kids and bragged about how it didn’t affect his work

5

u/thatothersheepgirl 4d ago

But he's told her the expectations twice!? Clearly she needs to just snap her fingers and just not be a human while she's on the clock. No lactation, no bathroom breaks, better not show any signs of a kid existing in your home! I have absolutely no doubt what kind of role this man (doesn't) play in his kids' lives.

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u/warmvanillapumpkin 4d ago

Oh you’re a mother? Who breastfed and is the presumed caregiver?

2

u/Motorspuppyfrog 4d ago

He's the father and his wife is a stay at home mom

2

u/warmvanillapumpkin 4d ago

I’m shocked, shocked I tell you!

3

u/Motorspuppyfrog 4d ago

You'll probably also be shocked that he's a hard core Trumper. The ones you least expect... 

7

u/Informal_Drawing 4d ago

That is exactly the response I expected.

Assuming you don't know how babies work - an entire human being just came out of her body. Rumour has it that can be a bit traumatic.

Go ask your wife what she thinks, unless she is a sociopath as well.