The Tribune

In some corporate cultures, including your children in business activities is quickly becoming a common practice. In fact, western culture has named a day - typically in November - as 'Take your child to work day'. The goal of this day is to give young people a better idea of what their parents do for a living.

This week, we explore the benefits of offering this special day to your employees, including:

• Oftentimes, children are ungrateful and entitled. They have little clue about how hard their parents work to take care of them. This day allows children the opportunity to see up close what they their parents do to provide a living for the family. It also gives parents the opportunity to talk to their children about the importance of hard work and how it can make them better adults.

• Allowing a child to spend the day with their parents at work is a wonderful bonding opportunity. As children grow into adulthood, parents are often looking for ways to connect with their children.

• Employees can form new friendships with their co-workers as they get to know each other’s children and learn more about their families. Families connecting is perhaps one of the great joys of this initiative.

• Hosting a 'Take Your Child to Work Day' can be an excellent way to create a positive work environment and boost morale. You build stronger work teams when you share your children in work activities. It also helps to have youth perspective in the work space as well.

• Children who get to see their parents at work may be inspired to take a new path for their future, discover a new interest and observe how their parents are good role models. This can serve as an internship before the official one.

Once the boundaries are established with team members and children, this programme can reap tremendous positive results for all involved.

• NB: Ian R Ferguson is a talent management and organisational development consultant, having completed graduate studies with regional and international universities. He has served organisations, both locally and globally, providing relevant solutions to their business growth and development issues. He may be contacted at tcconsultants@ coralwave.com.