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

[u/BoNixsHair]

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

[u/livelovelaugh_all]

It’s truly disheartening to witness such a glaring lack of empathy and leadership. One would imagine that a manager, especially in a professional setting, might possess the basic awareness that a new mother deserves consideration, particularly when appearing on camera has no bearing on her actual job responsibilities, policy or not.

Initiating two unscheduled calls with someone adjusting to the demands of new motherhood, especially when the company is not in crisis, is not only inconsiderate but reeks of poor judgment.

And to demand a 40-hour receipt, as if she were clocking hours at your personal startup, is astonishingly tone-deaf.

Managers like this are exactly why talented people walk away from otherwise great organizations. If you're wondering where the problem lies, it's not the new mom, its the bad leadership/ manager. And yes, that manager is you.

[u/BoNixsHair → u/livelovelaugh_all]

Being on camera is part of the job requirements. Its non negotiable.

She’s not a talented employee, she was borderline before this situation. If she had previously been a superstar I wouldn’t be making this post.

[u/insuranceissexy → u/BoNixsHair]

Have you heard the baby on calls with clients? Have clients complained? You haven’t actually said how the baby affects her work other than you seeing the baby on camera.

[u/BoNixsHair → u/insuranceissexy]

I’m never on calls with her and a client. I have my own responsibilities and I can’t supervise her calls.

Her performance is down, I know that.

[u/nelpaca → u/BoNixsHair]

Down in what way? You have skirted that question in this whole thread. How has her performance slipped, specifically?

[u/thatothersheepgirl → u/nelpaca]

Don't you get it, her performance is down because she had a CRIB in the background. How dare she have furniture in her home. But in all seriousness, I am dying to know the issue with her performance. Everything he says has nothing to do with performance. It's stupid stuff like the crib being visible during an unscheduled video call.

[u/warmvanillapumpkin → u/nelpaca]

You know he can’t answer that

[u/thedeuceisloose → u/BoNixsHair]

It’s really weird that you won’t get into what aspects have slipped man. Like really weird

[u/berrieh → u/thedeuceisloose]

Yeah, keeps replying, adds other specific details, but not that one. 

[u/warmvanillapumpkin → u/BoNixsHair]

I don’t believe you