37
Parents1
that children surveyed reported
that stressed-out parents were a greater concern to them than time available to them. Her research further reported that employees who work in companies with family-friendly policies come home with more energy, and the happiness that brings for parents and kids spills back into the workplace. That’s really gotten me thinking.”
alyst2
He added that he had read that Cat- research found that, in 2009, the
overall labor force participation rate of mothers with children under 18 years of age was 71.4% and that it was 93.8% for fathers. For married mothers, the rate was 69.6%. Relevant to him and his new family, he noted that the labor force par- ticipation rate of married mothers with children under 3 years of age increased from 32.7% in 1975 to 59.1% in 2008. Tammy had thought they were going to talk about the company’s health care plan, but she now found herself in a new galactic world of family affairs! Tom said, “I don’t know what the sta-
tistics are for our clinic, but I can assume that we have many working parents who are facing the kinds of stress that my wife and I feel and more. I’d like to explore how we can be the kind of workplace that attracts and retains people who are navigating these dual commitments.” He continued, “I’m hoping that those of
you who do not have children will see the benefit of working with colleagues who have less stress and know, too, that our clinic is making a contribution to the well- being of the next generation. After all, that is the hope of the future for all of us.” He paused and then asked how his remarks resonated with others in the room. At this point, Doris, a relatively new tech assistant, spoke up: “I was fortu- nate to receive benefits that saved my career. After my baby was born, my hus- band and I thought my veterinary career was finished. I wanted to stay home and bond with my baby. Because of the Fam- ily and Medical Leave Act [FMLA],3
I was
able to enjoy hovering over my baby and get a great start with breastfeeding for 3
Trends magazine, September 2011
months. The clinic where I was working welcomed me back to my same position after my leave. I was so happy to be able to resume my career. The clinic was also willing to adjust my work hours around the hours of a nearby day care center. It [also] provided me a private place at the clinic where I could use a breast pump. In short, my career was saved and I am most grateful. If our profession wants to save the careers of working moms, fam- ily leave, private places and flex-time are helpful ways to do it.” As Doris was talking, Tom began mak- ing a list on the white board: Family leave Flexible working hours Day care Private space for breast pumping He turned to the group and asked,
“Is everyone aware of the FMLA, which assures new parents (following birth, adoption or foster care) of 12 weeks of leave? That is a benefit that should have been described to you when you were first hired.” “Yes,” said Ben, an experienced tech. “What I only recently learned is that inter- mittent leave and reduced leave are also provisions of the FMLA. I have a friend who stayed home for 6 weeks full-time but then followed that with a temporary part-time schedule. She found the transi- tion to be very useful, and it also allowed her to retain partial earnings while enjoy- ing more time to bond with her baby.” Tom added that to the list: Intermittent and reduced (part- time) leave
“You know,” piped up Martha, from the business office, “I had no problem with the scheduling or the day care, since my mother moved in. My problem was the guilt I felt. I needed someone to tell me that it was OK to look forward to the challenges and interactions of my job and to a future career.”
Alice added, “My guilt was around ceding the care of my baby to someone else. I guess I’m a control freak, but I was very uncomfortable, even though I left her at a reputable, licensed day care.
There are Employee Assistance Programs that many small businesses offer by contracting with a local social service or mental health agency, which help employees deal with personal problems that might have an adverse impact on their work or well-being.
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