An Examination of the Infant-at-Work Program and Its Influence on Office Culture in Washington State

Abstract

This research was conducted with organizations in Washington State identified as offering an Infant-at-Work program to employees. The Infant-at-Work program allows parents to bring their infant to work with them from six weeks old until the child is six months old. Study participants took part in semi-structured hour-long interviews over Zoom to share their unique understanding of the Infant-at-Work program. Of the six interview participants, four were direct participants of the Infant-at-Work program, and two were program coordinators working in Human Resources at their organizations. All participants reported they believed the program had a positive influence on their workplace. This phenomenological study attempted to understand the unique experience of parents participating in the program; the influence the program has on office culture, how the program creates creating equity for women in the workplace, and the adaptability of the workplace to a family-focused environment. The study findings indicate employee participation in the Infant-at-Work program created a supportive work environment by forming unique relationships, institutional support, and adaptive work schedules. Through this study, new information is added to the post-COVID-19 conversation around the complexity of new parents in the workforce and the lived experience of people who have participated in the Infant-at-Work program.