If you could request one thing from your employer, what would it be? Permission to work from home? A flexible schedule? On-site childcare? All of the above?Working mom Karen Walrond (of Chookooloonks) recently created her own list of five things she wishes companies would do to be more parent-friendly. Her requests, in general, are not only great ideas, they are also perfectly reasonable.
Much of it boils down to what Karen calls "form over function." When employers require that employees sit at their desks from 8 AM to 5 PM every day, are they really cultivating productivity? Karen says no, and I have to agree.
. I have two friends who telecommute at least part-time. Both enjoy the flexibility and additional time spent with their families, but what they really appreciate is that they have control over when they get their work done. One is a hardcore morning person whose best hours begin before the sun rises, while the other is a night owl who often can be found typing away long after Letterman's gone to bed. They think they're more productive than when they were tied to their desks all day.
Obviously, some jobs can't offer employees flexible schedules. But the idea behind Karen's list is that companies who create a parent and family-friendly environment are more likely to have employees that are loyal and hard-working than those who would like to forget that employees have lives outside of the workplace.
1. Great list and great ideas. I've always wondered why more places don't offer on site daycare. As stated, its not as if they are paying for the daycare, simply leasing space and allowing employees (and perhaps others in the area) to utilize the daycare services at their own expense. Almost everybody has kids, right?
My job is PERFECT for a working parent. It may pay a bit less than I'd like, but the benefits far outweigh any small increase in salary. My hours are 100% flexible. This is key for a working parent. I come and go as I please. I can work holidays (when my husband is off work and can be home with our son) and use that day as an extra day of vacation. If my son has a teacher work day, I can simply come in to work after my husband gets home. I can work weekends in lieu of missed weekdays, work late if I need to volunteer at my son's school in the morning. My work is entirely independent and simply needs to be completed by me in my own time. They are not at all strict on hours, but simply ask that you "get the work done". When my son was small, he was more than welcome to spend time with me in the office, even nursing through meetings. Older children often come in after school and complete their homework or read quietly while their parents finish out the workday.
For me, having this flexibility has made being a "working mom" very easy. I also get five weeks of paid vacation and numerous federal and state holidays, plus extensive sick time and personal days. Again, the pay would probably be more if I were working in a more structured environment, but we're getting along just fine on my current salary, I'm high up in my field, and at this point in my life the parent of a young child, I wouldn't trade this job for anything.
Posted at 11:41AM on Jun 26th 2008 by Nicola