Restaurant manager brings baby into kitchen while he works, ignores chef requesting the child be removed from the workspace: 'He jumps on the cook line, baby still attached'

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Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
May 1, 2025 9:00 PM EDT

It has long been popular wisdom that unless a job demands it, we should never work with animals or children. There are some professions where this advice is a heck of a lot more important than others, primarily because introducing pets or kids into the situation would be a severe health hazard. Those pesky OSHA regulations that so many love to complain about? They are there for very valid reasons.

Nonetheless, this doesn't stop some who seem to lack common sense from engaging in careless behavior like bringing young kids into a high-risk workplace. While all parents know how difficult it can be to get childcare sometimes, there are limits on what can be done when the babysitter doesn't pull through and you are due to show up at work. This is especially true if you work in an environment that is known for accidents. It is something that simply shouldn't be done.

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  • This is what one chef working in a restaurant kitchen thought when the kitchen manager turned up to work with his baby strapped to him and proceeded to try to work on the cook line. 

    When the employee raised questions about the safety of the arrangement, the dad moved the child to a high chair in an also inconvenient part of the kitchen and continued to work.

    This led to an outburst from the chef, who felt that both the baby and those working in the kitchen were unsafe. However, they were not supported by their coworkers. They wanted backup and to know that their feelings were valid.

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    Cheezburger Image 10500529920
    via Larisa Gabrielyan

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 02

    AITA for asking that a baby be removed from cook line in a commercial kitchen during operational hours?

    A couple of weeks ago my Kitchen manager turned up for work with his baby/infant. He proceeded to enter the kitchen in civilian clothing (as it was a nice day; shorts, T-shirt and trainers) with child strapped to his front. He then jumps on the cook line and attempts to cook and prepare food, baby still attached. He took up position between between the head chef and another team member who were cooking at the time, surrounded by appliances front and back that were all on (grills, fryers, and hot
    via Dry-Pie2917
  • 03
    I was clearing the cook line from previous service. After he nearly fell backwards over a bin and myself, I let out a slight outburst of my dissatisfaction of the situation and concern for the safety of the child. Everyone looked at me as if I was an idiot. I stepped off the cook line and out of the kitchen to calm down. On my return I then discover (by nearly knocking the child over with a prep trolley) that the KM had detached the child from himself, put the kid in the biggest high chair we ha
    via Dry-Pie2917
  • 04
    I was about to explode with rage at this point, so I pleaded, albeit slightly angrily, if the child could be removed from the kitchen. Again I was met with stares as if I was being an idiot and AH. Almost all of my co workers have sided with the KM/father of the child and I am now outcast in my workplace... AITA for reacting on my belief that babies should not be allowed in comercial kitchens or on a cook line during operational hours?
    via Dry-Pie2917
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    Cheezburger Image 10500530688
    via A. C. (Unsplash+)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.


     

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    Commenters were equally outraged by the unusual and dangerous situation.

    Korike0017 NTA what is your position? Is there anyone higher up in the food chain so to speak you can talk to? Babies are absolutely both a safety and a health hazard in a commercial kitchen- this should not be allowed or tolerated. I understand the struggles of working parents, but putting everyone in danger is not the answer. You'd be doing yourself a disservice not to report this.
    via Korike0017
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    Dry-Pie2917 OP I'm whats called a team leader/ supervisor. Upper management witnessed it and said and did nothing.
    via Dry-Pie2917
  • 08
    ShimmerKoi First you should never cook while front wearing a baby. Second babies don't belong in commercial kitchens at all. It's dangerous for both the kid and the people on the line. If he couldn't find a sitter he needed to call in.
    via ShimmerKoi
  • 09
    Smeats- Buckle up baby! We're fryin bacon today!
    via Smeats-
  • 10
    FiberlsLife NTA. Holy OSHA violation, Batman!! An operating commercial kitchen is absolutely no place for an infant.
    via FiberIsLife
  • 11
    Ladydanielle2023 Right!!?? I feel like OSHA and the Health Department Inspector would be racing for the door at this point! Holy h_I! NTA!
    via Ladydanielle2023
  • 12
    SneakySneakySquirrel NTA. Is there someone higher ranked than the KM that you can talk to about this? I get that it can be hard to find childcare and that parents are often put in tough positions, but there are some jobs where you just can't bring your kid along and this is one of them. If I had to guess, your coworkers were annoyed because they didn't want to be down a person if the KM had to leave, but they shouldn't be taking that out on you. If they treat you badly because of this incident,
    via SneakySneakySquirrel
  • 13
    Expensive-Day-3551 NTA. Does the owner know about this? It's a massive liability issue, a stray pop of oil can cause a serious burn to an infants delicate skin. The employee can trip and fall on the baby. It's just stupid all around. A kitchen is a hazard and no place for a baby
    via Expensive-Day-3551
  • 14
    Dry-Pie2917 OP No. It's a branded chain.
    via Dry-Pie2917
  • 15
    After-Improvement-26 I can see the headlines. Branded chain allows baby to be injured in kitchen accident.
    via After-Improvement-26
  • 16
    CalamityClambake Call corporate. I own a restaurant and I cannot even begin to imagine the liability exposure of having a baby on the line. That's a H L NO!!! And for a chain? Absolute madness.
    via CalamityClambake
  • 17
    Attentionlcy6874 My sister and brother-in-law are both chefs and would probably have a stroke had that happened where they work. If they couldn't handle it in the restaurants where they work, they would definitely call OSHA. There are so many ways for this to go badly for the child, the father, the rest of the kitchen staff and the restaurant itself. He could even lose custody of his child over this. It seems like the only person who is thinking about the potential consequences is you, which is
    via AttentionIcy6874
  • 18
    whynotbecause88 I'm shuddering thinking of all the mishaps that could have befallen the baby. NTA
    via whynotbecause88
  • 19
    Revolutionary_Bag518 ΝΤΑ This situation sounds absolutely insane and it's both a MAJOR health and safety violation. I'm shocked no one in your kitchen had a problem with this.
    via Revolutionary_Bag518
  • 20
    Brilliant Cause4118 NTA. your colleagues are dumb
    via Brilliant_Cause4118
  • 21
    notjimbelushi420 NTA that's suer dangerous? i wonder if the baby's other parent knew about this
    via notjimbelushi420
  • 22
    sadmep NTA- Business wise this is a massive liability issue. If you let that baby stay, what happens when the inevitable accident happens? Also seems negligent from the parent's point of view. Boiling water, knives. Commercial kitchen isn't a place for a baby.
    via sadmep
  • 23
    FaelingJester If someone had recorded that and posted it online the business would be shut down immediately
    via FaelingJester
  • 24
    _higglety Knowing cooks and kitchens, I'm going to hazard a guess that your "slight outburst" and "pleading" where quite a bit more vocal and angry than you're presenting them here. That said, you're 100% correct that a commercial kitchen is NO PLACE FOR A BABY jesus christ. My cook friends literally compare scars. I myself, although I take safety very seriously, have been cut and burned. There are SO MANY WAYS a child could be seriously injured, or cause someone else to be injured by creating a
    via _higglety
  • 25
    captaindae NTA, are we sure this guy is not purposefully trying to have an accident with his kid? It seems like he's really going out of his way, like, bad horror movie style, to set up something going wrong.
    via captaindae

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restaurant workplace aita baby manager work chef kitchen osha reddit thread Reddit safety
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