DEAR ABBY: Due to COVID shutting schools down, my employer is now allowing staff to bring their kids to work if they don't have alternative child care. I bring my 8-year-old, and I have seen many other kids around. Most of them are well behaved and don't cause any problems.
However, we have a new employee, "Michelle," who has started bringing her 4-year-old with her. The child, I'll call her Autumn, is in her mother's office, but she's so loud, she can be heard all the way across the building! I thought surely Michelle would close her office door and contain Autumn's "jolly" voice inside her own area, but she seems perfectly happy to let her daughter make as much noise as she wants.
I don't understand this. Other parents make sure their kids behave and act appropriately. What can I do to let Michelle and my supervisor know that while yes, she can bring her child with her, it's still her responsibility to make sure the kid isn't creating a distraction? -- TIRED OF THE NOISE
DEAR TIRED OF THE NOISE: I do not think it would be prudent to talk about this with Michelle, which is sure to make her defensive. You should, however, inform your supervisor that because Michelle's door is left open, her daughter's "jolly" voice is creating a distraction. If it has been causing a problem for you, the chances are it is doing the same for other employees and reducing productivity.