Internet Backs Woman Whose Coworker Takes Toddlers To Work, Leaves Them With Her

Now that the pandemic has leveled out, many businesses are opening back up to employees. According to CNBC, early evidence suggested that not working and obtaining unemployment benefits, paid off more. For one Redditor, the choice to return came with an unexpected consequence.

"My office reopened a few weeks ago. One of my co-workers has 2 toddlers and he lost his wife during the pandemic," the woman known as "justwantedtoexplore" wrote. "They were a two income family and he told me that they were struggling a bit financially. especially after all the medical bills prior to his wife's death (may she rest in peace)."

She continued: "Due to pandemic, our office layout has changed and everyone required to come to office were given rooms to use instead of the cubicles we usually use. When my coworker requested in the team meeting to be allowed to bring his kids to work, none of us objected. We were sure that he would get a big office and it would not disturb us."

She explained that she works in a male-dominated field with only three female employees.

"My coworker constantly leaves his children with me for hours," she said. "I feel like I am doing more babysitting than my actual job. He doesn't even ask permission. he just asks the kids to go to my office. The kid just says 'my dad asked me and my brother to stay with you'. When I confront him he says that he is in a meeting or he needs to concentrate etc."

The woman said her "last straw" was when the man went to lunch and left his kids with her. She complained to HR which triggered a confrontation. HR told him he could work from home — but not to bring his children into the office.

"He said that he would never be able to finish his work, hit his targets and get bonuses if he works from home and he is gonna lose a lot of money with baby care if he decides to come to the office (he is not wrong. It is ver hard and slow to wfh. work gets done much easier and faster from office)," she said.

She continued: "Now, everyone (edit: except my team and manager) are pissed at me for complaining against a struggling father and grieving widower. AITA for directly going to the HR?"

Naturally, the internet had major opinions. The top comment has accumulated over 16,400 upvotes at the time of this article.

"NTA. You're not a babysitting service. It's especially insulting being left with the kids as a female. While his situation is unfortunate, it's not your responsibility to fix," Lucyfiir said.

"Exactly. And see the coworkers who are 'pissed', ALL MEN (except 2 IF the women complained which I doubt) and who never volunteered to babysit when OP complained," TrickInteresting8032 reiterated.

"NTA. He has absolutely no business sending his children to your office w/o permission, as if you don't have work to do, yourself. If you told him to stop multiple times, you had every right to go to HR. It's disturbing your work and is unprofessional. He needs to find child care," Jedi_Mind_Chick wrote.

Academic_Snow_7680 added, "Not just unprofessional. He's blatantly sexist and entitled. OP needs legal advice."