Crying baby reported to HR after distracting coworkers too much, the tattletale questions if what she did is right: "Did I just 'tell' on her?"

Author image for Briana Viser
Briana Viser • Writer and Editor
Jun 23, 2025 2:00 PM EDT

Who doesn't love babies? Many people love their innocent tenderness, their big, watery eyes, their nascent smiles, and the joy they bring so effortlessly to any situation. But of course, there are times when a newborn baby is the worst thing you can imagine being near you. Ever get on a plane with a baby screaming the whole 12 hours? Yeah, it's not fun. Or what about a movie theater? It really begs the question of why someone would want to bring their baby to a movie. It's not like the baby can understand anything! 


I bet few people have had to deal with a baby being in their place of work though. In the story below, the protagonist has to hear a screaming, crying baby while she's typing away or doing excel sheets. If there's one place a baby shouldn't be, I'd say it's the workplace.

In the story below, the protagonist is struggling to get into the working zone because there's a crying baby in the other room. Read the full story below for all the juicy details. 

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  • 01

    AITA for reporting a crying baby to HR?

    Cheezburger Image 10520613632
    via pixelshot / Canva

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

  • 02
    I am second guessing my decision to report to HR. There is a person in my building who brings their infant to work with
    via u/No-Ad6500

  • Trying to work with a crying baby is not something that should be expected from anyone. Working with annoying coworkers, fine. Working with a difficult management, normal. But a crying baby? Of course she's in the right to take it up to HR. It's out of her hands, she doesn't need to worry about it anymore. 

  • 03
    her, and it cries and screams and fusses, as babies do. She does not close her office door but leaves it open like an echo
    via u/No-Ad6500
  • 04
    chamber resounding through the halls. It is incredibly difficult to focus on anything at all with a crying baby in your ear. Closing
    via u/No-Ad6500
  • 05
    my door helps a bit, but we have a culture of leaving doors open to signal that you're available for an impromptu meeting. I leave mine open about half of the
    via u/No-Ad6500
  • 06
    time. I decided today that something's gotta give. I do not know her and we do not work for the same department. I work in
    via u/No-Ad6500
  • 07
    Cheezburger Image 10520613888
    via lichaoshu from Getty Images Pro / Canva

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

  • 08
    an office with a lot of touchy personalities and egos, and I was not confident that I could simply ask her to close her door, without setting off WWIII, either with her
    via u/No-Ad6500
  • 09
    individually, or between our co- located departments. Instead I sent a very nicely worded email to HR asking if someone can
    via u/No-Ad6500
  • 10
    send her an anonymous request to please kindly keep her door closed while she has her baby with her. I assumed the woman
    via u/No-Ad6500
  • 11
    has some kind of "Reasonable Accommodation" for having the baby at work, but now I'm second guessing myself. What if she doesn't, and isn't supposed
    via u/No-Ad6500
  • 12
    to have the baby with her? Did I just "tell" on her? I am feeling quite sheepish about it at the moment. Should I have tried to resolve this myself? HR has
    via u/No-Ad6500
  • 13
    already responded with an emphatic "good job in bringing this to HR, as this is an HR issue,
    via u/No-Ad6500
  • 14
    and not something to handle yourself," but I still feel like maybe I'm the AH here.
    via u/No-Ad6500
  • 15
    Phon 目
    via Yan Krukau from Pexels / Canva

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

  • 16
    Aggressive Desk 4... NTA. You didn't march in there and say, "Get that baby out of here." You didn't slam her door shut
    via u/Aggressive_Desk_487
  • 17
    mid-wail. You didn't CC her boss or post on Slack like "Hey, whose baby is this??" You went through the exact channel you're supposed to.
    via u/Aggressive_Desk_487
  • 18
    HR even gave you a gold star and said "Yes, this is our thing." That's not tattling. That's... procedure. That's literally what they're paid to handle.
    via u/Aggressive_Desk_487
  • 19
    Starfoxy If she was bringing the baby to work on the down low, you'd think she'd be a bit more proactive about
    via u/Starfoxy
  • 20
    making sure it wasn't drawing attention (ie shutting her office door).
    via u/Starfoxy

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toxic-workplace drama coworkers relationships lol love workplace entitled family reddit thread Reddit funny dating
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