At IRAM, Our Employees Are the Foundation of Success: Supporting Chloe's Return to Work

Taking a quick break from sleeping to supervise Mum. 

At IRAM, we believe that our employees are the foundation of success. We strive to create a workplace where everyone feels supported and empowered to excel. Recently, we had the opportunity to put that belief into action when one of our long-standing team members faced a significant challenge.

Chloe, who has been with Merredin IGA for over a decade, was recently faced with a tough reality. The town’s only daycare had reached full capacity, leaving her with no childcare options for her six-month-old baby. As a mother eager to return to work, and with her partner working full-time, Chloe was concerned that she might have to delay her return to the workplace until her baby was ready for kindergarten.

We’ve seen how our team members consistently go above and beyond for the business, so when we heard about Chloe’s predicament, we knew we had to do whatever we could to support her.

The solution was simple: we welcomed Chloe’s baby into the office. Our back office was transformed into a comfortable, baby-friendly space where Chloe could be an attentive mum while continuing to excel in her role. It wasn’t long before the Baby B’s presence became part of our new normal, bringing smiles to everyone in the Merredin IGA family.

“There’s very limited childcare in Merredin. If I had enrolled him from the beginning of my pregnancy, they’d only have space for him one day of the week.” Chloe lamented. “If I wasn’t able to bring him to the office, I would be unemployed. For me, It’s really nice to still be in the workforce. Otherwise I would be going crazy at home!”

We’re happy to report that the arrangement has been a resounding success. Productivity has not only returned to pre-baby levels but has even surpassed them. Having Chloe’s in the office has had a positive impact on the workplace atmosphere. Babies in such arrangements tend to be well-behaved with their mum nearby to meet any of their needs.

As the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials noted in 2012,

"Having babies in the workplace is a low-cost and highly effective way to create a more positive and productive atmosphere and improve morale among employees."

Store manager Elisha Bennett echoed this sentiment, saying, “We wish we could do this for all team members! Of course, we can’t have a baby on the forklift, but the office is the perfect place for the little bub.” We’re proud to have created a workplace where Chloe is supported and can thrive, both as a mum and a valued employee.

We hope that by sharing this story, other companies will see the importance of supporting their employees when life doesn’t fit into neat boxes. When we take care of each other, success naturally follows.

Everything a baby needs to be comfy in the office.