Three years ago, Beth Shelton took over as chief executive officer at Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa. 

Employees there say internal operations improved in that time, with several new employee benefits among the changes. The latest, Infants at Work, may have gained the most attention. It allows mothers, fathers or guardians on staff the ability to have infants up to age 6 months at the offices on Hickman Road and at other locations across the state.

Fourteen-week-old Finley is a trailblazer, she’s the first child to be part of the pilot of Infants at Work. Her mom is Girl Scouts Chief Development Officer Chelsey DeRuyter, who participates in meetings, contacts volunteers and donors, or spends time on her computer doing what executives have to do, all with Finley near. 

“Think of all those moments we miss out on as working parents. It’s amazing to see. It’s not one or the other. … They can pursue an amazing career and still soak in those smiles and nurse. They are not mutually exclusive,” said Shelton.

Business as usual happens while Finley naps, hangs out on the floor for some tummy time, or spends time with an alternate care provider, an opt-in part of the program that allows for up to four co-workers to sign up to spend time with the baby if Chelsey needs to be baby-free. The volunteer care providers can be used for up to two hours.

There are other guidelines that assist all employees — such as a quiet room and a nursing room. Infants who get a bit fussy for more than five minutes may need to go there. GSGI co-workers who may not be comfortable with an infant in the office can request other accommodations, from moving to a new space to telecommuting or other flexible arrangements, Shelton explained.

There’s been a lot of attention. “Good Morning America,” the Chicago Tribune, local media and others have contacted Girl Scouts about the new arrangement. It began in December but was announced on Shelton’s Facebook page in the last two weeks. 

Shelton’s Facebook post announcing Infants at Work has been shared hundreds of times. It garnered hundreds of comments — not all were supportive. Some critics pointed out they would not want to work with a baby in an office or that there would be lower productivity or too many distractions. The current policy provides for accommodations and guidelines for different scenarios.

DuRuyter said that she feels productive even while juggling feeding times and job responsibilities. As an executive, she has an office, which now features a Pack n’ Play, an infant seat with stimulating toys for Finley, and other rare items to see in the workplace. DeRuyter brought those items in.

Another point by DeRuyter: The Infants at Work program allowed her to return to work several weeks earlier than expected.

“It has been such a blessing to return to a job I love, while caring for our sweet little girl,” said DeRuyter. As chief development officer, DeRuyter leads GSGI’s volunteer and philanthropy efforts.

Co-workers say Finley has been an easy addition to the office. 

Shelton acknowledges that such a policy may not suit all businesses or groups. “The point is that it’s now a choice,” she said.

Another criticism of Infants at Work or any organization’s effort to be more family-friendly is the potential to lose productivity. 

The beneefits changes at the Girl Scouts have come while hiring more full-time staff and a 30 percent increase in attendance at camp properties. The organization’s annual operating budget of 

$6.5 million supports more than 100 events a year. There are 13,500 active members in areas of Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota.

GSGI has 50 full-time employees and 70 part-time workers. Of note: Seven workers have new infants or are expecting, Shelton said.

RARE IN IOWA

The Girl Scout program, offered to all parents or guardians, is a rarity, according to several state leaders.

Dawn Oliver Wiand, executive director of the Iowa Women’s Foundation, has not heard of another business or organization in the state offering a similar program. She described it as “awesome,” because it’s during the early years of having a family when there’s a shortage of quality, affordable child care in the state. 

Likewise, Tiffany O’Donnell, CEO of Women Lead Change, had not heard of Infants at Work, but she applauded the innovation, noting it may not be the right policy for every workplace but it’s important for employers to find ways to meet employee needs.

“In the war for talent, the companies who will rise and thrive are the ones who are willing to do what it takes to get and keep the best people. Taking a critical look at how your organization accommodates its moms and future moms is an investment worth making,” O’Donnell said.

The GSGI policy is available to dads as well.

USED IN ANOTHER STATE

Similar policies have worked in a few other states and businesses.

Karen Alter, CEO of ad and PR agency Borshoff in Indianapolis, said her workplace is going on its 19th year of providing its babies at work program.

Her son, Matthew, now 18, was the second baby in the program when it took effect in 2000. She’s surprised more companies don’t offer the benefit.

“The worlds have blended in terms of your work life and home life. It’s a continuous loop,” Alter said.

Like Shelton, Alter points out that the benefit helps with finding and keeping skilled workers. “This is a way to recruit the best talent,” she said. “It is a good retention tool.” 

In her situation as a new parent, she worked 80 percent of her hours when she returned to work after having her son. Parent and baby would show up around 9 or 9:30 a.m. and leave between 4 and 4:30 p.m. That flexibility helped her transition back to work as a new parent, Alter said. Her son took longer naps so she feels she was able to be productive.

At Borshoff, the parent and baby have a private workspace and there’s also a parent room for feedings or when a baby is fussing or needs to sleep. 

Not all Girl Scouts chapters across the have adopted the same policy. 

“As one of 112 chartered Girl Scout councils across the country, Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa is proud to provide one solution to support parents in the workplace,” Shelton said. Each chapter creates its own employee policies.

CULTURE CHANGE

In the end, each business or organization must decide what policies work best for the needs of employees or business goals, Shelton said. At Girl Scouts, the program is in a pilot phase. At some point, there could be up to four babies in different offices. Shelton said that as a nonprofit GSGI may not be able to pay what for-profit can, but the Girl Scout leaders can offer appealing employee benefits and a family-friendly culture.

“It does take a special feeling among co-workers that this is our culture,” said Alter. “Having a baby [in the office] changes the mood.”

That is certainly evident at GSGI. During one meeting in Shelton’s office, Finley sat quietly on DuRuyter’s lap. During a pause in the group’s conversation, she cooed.

A future executive, perhaps. 
The process of getting Finley to work began with another employee expecting a child. That person brought the idea to Shelton.

“My gut instinct was how could we possibly do this?” Shelton said. “We chose to do this because we want our mission to inform our operations, and not the other way around.”

With the Girl Scouts’ mission — “to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place” — in mind, Shelton reached a decision overnight to proceed. 

Staff researched and talked with a company in Missouri with a similar program. 

It took about just six weeks from idea to implementation. Finley will come to work with DeRuyter until age 6 months or she starts crawling. 

“We are really changing our culture,” Shelton said. “Babies are part of the gig.”