If you watch the news, you likely heard that Senator Tammy Duckworth is the first sitting senator to give birth while in office. While this is a new moment in history, what’s proposed is even bigger as it could affect your no-children attendance policies.
Do you remember Marissa Mayer, former President and CEO of Yahoo!, who swept into the position and ended working from home and after giving birth to her first child set up a nursery next to her Yahoo office?
It’s safe to say work capacities are changing.
The US Senate is even considering a change to rules that would allow children in the chamber, even infants, to make it easier for parents to vote.
What about your chamber?
What are your rules about children in attendance during events, meetings, or networking?
Is It Time to Change No-Children Attendance Policies?
This very timely topic came up in the Chamber Professionals group on Facebook. Both sides of the no-children attendance policies have good points.
It’s Fine the Way It Is
On the one side of the no-children attendance policies, lies those who find children distracting. Business events and goings-on can be boring even for some adults. What can a child possibly add other than a distracted parent and extra noise? Plus, what is the parent actually getting out of it if they’re spending their time making sure Junior is quiet?
It’s Time for a Change
Tammy Duckworth’s argument about the Senate is that these no-children attendance policies are antiquated. Organizations should be adjusting to the needs of employees and volunteers. It’s better to allow children and have their parents in attendance than for both of them to be absent. Plus, how much more distracting is a child than the noise level you’d encounter working at a coffee shop?
So what are you doing at your chamber? It may not be an issue for you now, but it’s likely to become a talking point in the near future. Where will you stand? Whatever you choose will likely need to be an across-the-board solution and not one that allows some children, while restricting others.
Is this an issue your board would have trouble dealing with? Get free help in developing a board that CAN with this instant download resource:
