It’s almost time to send the kids back to school, after what feels like a lifetime of juggling work, play dates, sitters and getting creative with work schedules during the chaos of Christmas holidays.
Thursday 19 January, just as many of the South Australian Business Chamber’s working parents were square out of activities to keep their children entertained, we hosted a very special and very exciting ‘bring your kids to work day’.
Let’s be real, we weren’t without hesitation. The South Australian Business Chamber is a busy place, and with a jam-packed calendar of events on the horizon, a plethora of services on offer and no shortage of issues facing South Australia’s business community, we did wonder if this exercise could be a nightmare distraction, but we were keen to explore what possible benefits this could provide our team, and to report our findings back to the business community.
We crossed our t’s and dotted our i’s, ensured all appropriate safety measures were considered and proceeded to charge our social club with the task of creating a day full of activities to keep a vast range of ages and personalities entertained.
We welcomed 18 children last Thursday, all of whom participated in arts and crafts, visited our local school holiday hotspot TreeClimb, prepared snacks, watched a movie and made friends they may never have made otherwise.
For the parents involved, it’s a day they won’t be forgetting for a while.
“It was amazing how bringing our kids together actually encouraged members of our team to get to know each other too”, said Megan Kloeden, Mother of three, and the South Australian Business Chamber General Manager, People and Culture.
“We all took turns supervising and helping each other to manage activities, which really encouraged collaboration with colleagues who may not have gotten the chance to interact with each other on that level yet”.
“I feel like we’ve formed new relationships within the team, or at least laid some groundwork to do so through our children, who I know are all keen to catch up again”.
This isn’t a new concept in workplaces. For years, progressive organisations have been taking steps to embrace a culture of inclusion, that aids in striking an important balance between work and the home life of employees.
Global software company Salesforce reported in a 2019 blog that their famous kids’ days were a wonderful opportunity to embrace the core values of their organisation. They promote work-life balance, trust and respect for diversity, all necessary traits to ensure the success of ‘bring your kids to work day’.
“It is a crazy, fun, chaotic, inspiring, moving and hilarious day that injects the office with the unique energy that kids generate”.
So what’s the consensus? If one day a year, you can open your workplace to your employee’s children, provided the appropriate safety measures are considered, you will not regret the energy, enthusiasm, and excitement it provides.
Expect collaboration like you have never seen, professional relationships to be strengthened, and problem-solving skills extended.
Inclusive workplaces promote the importance of family life, whatever that looks like for the employee and having the opportunity to have a home and work lives crossover every now and then will make strides in promoting happy and energised workplaces.
If you are considering a kids’ day in your workplace, contact our Business Advice Hotline to make sure you are taking the necessary steps to ensure legalities are met and safety measures are in place.
The Business Advice Hotline is free for members of the South Australian Business Chamber and can be reached on 8300 0000.
