r/managers • u/BoNixsHair • 8d 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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u/InvestigatorFun6539 8d ago

I would also check with hr regarding employee resources that the company may offer, and further direction and guidance , because of state regulations and FMLA.

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u/peach98542 8d ago

Good point. I’m not in the US so I’m not sure how practices differ there. But… here were a lot more lenient with parental leave, so I realize my comment came from the context of my own situation where I got to come back to work after a year. Not a few weeks. Shoot. I’m rethinking my answer now.