'The owner... said I was lucky not to be fired': Small business employee brings toddler into work without permission, insists they're a "vital" worker

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Oct 28, 2024 3:00 PM EDT

One worker went to the internet for reassurance that they weren't in the wrong for bringing their kid to work, but the internet completely disagreed with their decision. 

It can be fun when a coworker brings their kid into the office for a few minutes. If you don't hang out with kids that much, it can be fun to shake a baby's hand or high-five a toddler. The proud parent gets to introduce their child to the coworkers they spend 40 hours per week with, and the employees get to take a few minutes away from their desk to relax. 

However, it really changes the work environment when the little one remains in the office for more than a few minutes. No matter how cute that kid is, they're bound to be noisy and disruptive. It's just in their nature! You can't blame a kid for being a kid… but you can blame Mom or Dad for bringing their little one into the office for the entire day while you listen to their kid cry and whine. 

This person, u/throwawayworkpyt, shared a story about what happened when they chose to bring their daughter into work. Their babysittter cancelled and their spouse couldn't take her, so they felt like they had no choice. But their boss's reaction makes me wonder if they were leaving something out of the story… maybe their child wasn't as well-behaved as they implied. 

After that, read about some very funny Halloween costume mixups, like one person who "went as Calvin and Hobbes… everyone thought I was Siegfried and Roy." 

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    Cheezburger Image 10420710400
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    AITA for bringing my daughter to work? I work for a fairly small business. Pretty much anything goes, they just expect you to get your job done. Or so I thought. Yesterday, all plans to babysit my daughter fell through, and my wife and I both had to work. My wife is a nurse, so obviously she couldn't do it. So my only option was to take my daughter in to work, or call off. So I did.
    via u/throwawayworkpyt
  • 03
    She's barely old enough to walk, so it was kind of hard, but I still got work done. She was mostly just happy as a clam being in my office and playing with toys. Anyway, no one said they had a problem with it, until this morning where the owner wanted to speak to me. He said it set a bad precedent, and I was lucky not to be fired.
    via u/throwawayworkpyt
  • 04
    We're pretty much friends outside of work and I'm vital, so I know he wouldn't really fire me. But he went onto say that other people will want to start also, and I need to be more professional. He said he's paying me to work, not run a personal daycare. I know that it's his business and he needs to think about it, but no one else is going to start doing whatever they want because I brought my daughter in for a day.
    via u/throwawayworkpyt
  • 05
    I usually have like 3 hours of doing nothing by the end of the day, anyway, I'm not falling behind. I don't think I'm an a h le, I'm the only one who can do what I do for his business and he needs me around. He's kind of an a hole for treating me like a wage employee when I'm so indispensable and been so reliable and useful to him. AITA?
    via u/throwawayworkpyt
  • 06
    I don't know if I'm the a hole for bringing my daughter to work. I was still able to get what I needed done, but he said it was unprofessional
    via u/throwawayworkpyt
  • 07
    LilPajamas YTA for: 1. Not clearing it with your boss 2. Taking advantage of the friendship 3. Presuming you are indispensable 4. Being entitled
    via u/throwawayworkpyt
  • 08
    wordsmythy He's kind of an a hole for treating me like a wage employee when I'm so indispensable YTA for this^
    via u/throwawayworkpyt
  • 09
    [deleted] YTA. You should have checked with the boss before bringing your kid in. You are also an AH for expecting special treatment because you are his friend.
    via u/throwawayworkpyt
  • 10
    _mmiggs_ YTA. 1. If you're going to bring your kid in to work for the day, call your boss and get approval first. There are questions about being professional, there are questions about liability, and so on.
    via u/throwawayworkpyt
  • 11
    2. Yes, other workers are going to look at you and your kid and think "great it's cool to - bring your kid in if your sitter falls through". They're not going to think "OP is getting special treatment because he is vital, whereas I'm just a random schmuck who might get fired".
    via u/throwawayworkpyt
  • 12
    Simple-blaxckie YTA - The sense of entitlement is beyond crazy. I understand it's a small business or what not but it is not YOUR business therefore you can not do what ever you please. You should've checked with your boss. I understand everybody goes through things but you have to consider other factors such
    via u/throwawayworkpyt
  • 13
    as what your boss might think, what type of precedent that sets for people in your work place, or even how much of a liability that is.
    via u/throwawayworkpyt

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