Zutano Plays a Part in the Bring your Baby to Work Program

Cabot, VT, May 2008
Babies provide the basis for everything that is Zutano from the fit and style of their clothing, to the huggable plush toys they create, their mission has always focused solely on the comfort, happiness and healthy growth of babies. Zutano was in fact founded by two loving new parents wearing babes in snugglies while they worked. It is no surprise then that the brand new sons and daughters of today’s Zutano employees are welcomed with extended arms into the company’s workplace. Following a carefully customized maternity/paternity policy, new mothers or fathers are encouraged to bring their baby to work.



Zutano employee Amber VanOrsdell-Finn in her office with her son Carson.

How it Works
Zutano’s Bring your Baby to Work program is available for babies up to 12 months old and is applicable for both adopted and birth children. For parents who chose an outside child-care provider, Zutano reimburses a percentage of their approved childcare costs for the same twelve-month period (for safety reasons, not every employee’s position can be tailored to accommodate an infant). Zutano also offers new parents scheduling flexibility, easing the stress of squeezing in all of those post and pre-natal appointments and general doctors visits. “This policy is a natural evolution of the company’s core value system and growth”, quotes Steve Kandrac the company’s COO. Denise Towne, one of Zutano’s first employees to use the “Bring Your Baby to Work program” is now getting ready to have her third child who will be participating, she states, “I couldn’t imagine leaving my children in daycare when they were newborns. I am thankful for the opportunity to be able to breastfeed my babies at work. It has also been wonderful to share in every moment of their first year without having to sacrifice my career. Both of my children were welcomed and loved in the office as part of the growing Zutano family.” Kris Crocker, another new Zutano parent, says, “If I have to go to a meeting, I ask a co-worker to watch my baby, Hannah, or I just bring her along.”



From left to right: Zutano employees Catherine Ralphs (due in July with her second baby), Amber VanOrsdell-Finn and her son Carson, and Beth Mullins and her son Hartley discussing new prints for the spring season.

Supporting Mother and Baby
Michael Belenky, founder and president of Zutano, quotes, “In today’s stressful world, with both parents working, it is often difficult to juggle work and family life while maintaining the quality of both. But we’ve discovered that when employees are supported at home, they perform better at work and are happier about being here.” New mothers who have the opportunity to work alongside their child are able to focus more acutely on their job without constantly worrying about the welfare of their little ones in daycare. The babies benefit as well. Since the first year of a child’s life is such a critical period for bonding and emotional development, a baby that is given reliable and loving attention by it’s mother and supporting family (in this case caring coworkers) during this period will ultimately be a happier and more self-assured little person. “We are currently experiencing a little baby boom here in the office,” says Michael, “You’d think that even one child would cause a distraction, but these kids get such terrific attention, and are simply so HAPPY to be next to mom – they’re on their best behavior every single day. In honesty, from mother to child to customer service and accounting our office is a happier, more relaxed, yet powerfully productive environment when there are little ones around.”



Beth and Hartley.


One Great Working Family
Every member of the Zutano team contributes to the success of the new maternity/paternity policy employee support is key to making the arrangement physically possible. The building that houses the Zutano headquarters has been thoughtfully modified to accommodate the presence of babies. A number of private offices have been outfitted with cribs, toys and hanging mobiles, a comfy changing table adorns the company bathroom, and the newly renovated photo studio is wall to wall carpeted and furnished with soft chairs and quiet corners to provide a private space for nursing moms or occasionally fussy babes.

When present in the work environment, Zutano’s littlest members even join in the everyday business of a children’s wear company by becoming super models for their latest catalogs photo shoot. Zutano mothers are frequently called upon to have their baby test the size or cut of new garments for Zutano creative design team, there’s nothing quite like having a living model to measure against new samples and when the finished garments arrive, emergency photo shoots can be organized in the space of an afternoon.

With 33 full-time employee’s Zutano is still small enough to feel like a large family. Supporting one another is second nature and the joy one experiences in watching a smiling baby giggle, or feeling the grasp of a tiny newborn hand, is shared by everyone present. The dedicated Zutano employees work magnificently with each other, as a fully functional, growing business, and as a physically and emotionally supportive family. The result of such care and cooperation is one fashionably successful company that is breaking new ground to prove that it is possible to maintain a full-time job while keeping your newest family member close to heart.

Zutano Bring your Baby to work current company statistics as of May 28, 2008
- Current Company demographic: 31 employees, 75% female
- 9 moms have participated in the program since August of 2002
- 11 babies have participated in the program
- Average time for the babies to remain on site has been 8 ½ months
- We are expecting to have a total of 5 babies enrolled and on-site by the Fall of 2008, for a total of 15 babies anticipated to have participated in the program since inception