Blue Zones Project is partnering with employers across Hawai‘i to create healthier work environments that empower employees to be happier, healthier and more productive. We invite employers, employees, and anyone interested in worksite well-being here in Hawai‘i to check out our blog and newsletter topics that highlight Blue Zones Project Approved worksites on a periodic basis, along with helpful well-being resources that may be beneficial to your organization. 

Civil Beat recently published an article on ways employers can help support working parents’ childcare needs. Not one, but two businesses featured in the article are Blue Zones Project Approved™ worksites – Kualoa Ranch and Hawaii First Federal Credit Union (FCU)!

Hawaii First FCU’s two locations were approved back in 2016 for their outstanding efforts to cultivate workplace and community well-being. What makes Hawaii First FCU unique, however, is their Baby-to-Work program, where employees are allowed to bring their babies to work to address the lack of affordable childcare in Hawaii.

In a banking environment where working from home isn’t possible, this program didn’t just mean happier parents, it also had a positive impact on staff and community members banking with Hawaii First FCU. Who doesn’t love seeing cute babies?! With the help and guidance of the Parenting in the Workplace Institute, Hawaii First FCU was able to design an environment that allows the parent to step away and care for their baby’s needs without interrupting business. Simply having an Infant-to-Work policy in place is one thing, but to proactively support its utilization is exemplary inclusivity that strengthens employees’ sense of belonging – an essential ingredient to robust retention and employee loyalty.

Shortly after recognizing the success of their Baby-to-Work program, Hawaii First FCU didn’t stop there. Because babies grow up and school gets out before business hours end, they decided to create a space for kids as they grow up too. They set up space for keiki to do schoolwork for a couple of hours in the office, as their parent(s) finish up work.

Nearly two-dozen babies have utilized the program since its inception, and while no one at Hawaii First FCU had any babies during the pandemic, the program remains in place should any parents need to utilize it in the future. While this kind of program is only possible in certain work environments, the practice is slowly catching on. Hawaii First FCU shared their program with other local credit unions over three years ago and chief operating officer, Mary Ann Otake, just informed us that Hamakua Coast FCU welcomed their first baby to work this year!

Hawaii First FCU’s program represents an innovative approach to caring for their valued employees by caring for their families in an age when childcare poses a significant challenge to working parents. Do you or someone you know work somewhere with a similar program? Shoot us an email and let us know!