In an effort to retain employees, 104 US companies have implemented bring-your-baby-to-work policies which allow new mothers to care for their children at work, until they are around 8 months of age. Employers have discussed how allowing mothers to bring their babies to work has enabled them to hold on to important employees, avoid spending excess money on day care services, and avoid problems associated with hiring temporary workers. Employers at Valley Credit Union in California feel that with the program, mothers return to work sooner and are motivated to work harder, with a new mouth to feed staring them in the face. Others, of course, are skeptical, and programs have generally been successful only in informal, small business atmospheres.
