Welcome, the Port 12

At Port Saint John, you’ll find a delightful anomaly in a province grappling with population decline: 12 babies born to the organization’s 35-person workforce over 13 months. That’s roughly one third of Port employees who welcomed a new infant, and massive life changes, over a one-year period.For the Port, this baby boom means several things. Not only are holiday parties getting much cuter, but the office is navigating seven maternity leaves, their cover-off contracts along with their staggered returns. The biggest change, however, can arguably be seen in the organization’s culture shift toward a family-friendly, flexible environment.The volume and velocity of the Port baby boom made the evolution necessary, and fast. Serene Allen, HR Generalist and new Mom of 13-month-old Camden, welcomes the idea, stating it’s reflective of the accepting culture at Port Saint John. “I never worried that someone was going to treat me differently because I’m a mom,” she says. “I feel really supported and think Port Saint John does a great job of offering a family-focused work environment.”Jamie-Lynn McCavour, a member of the Port operations team, gave birth to her daughter Penelope in June 2018. The first of the Port 12 parents to welcome a newborn, Jamie took three months off before returning to work part-time and is grateful for the mini support network that’s developed organically between colleagues. “Having a baby at the same time as my coworkers has been great, I’ve never gone home without an answer to a baby-related question I’ve had,” says Jamie. “I was able to balance home life with a new baby and work the cruise season without making huge adjustments to my life.” CEO Jim Quinn knows that the baby boom is great for business. “This is the best recruitment strategy we’ve ever had,” chuckles Quinn. “We’re proud to be shifting our organization to jive with the needs of our workforce’s changing demographic.”As for the rest of Port Saint John? We’re looking forward to watching the Port 12- Penelope, Camden, Jordan, Maisie, Lyla, Evangeline, Knox, Mya, Shea, Conlan, Jameson and Franky- grow into New Brunswick’s leaders of tomorrow.