Yesterday I woke up to a sick kid. High fever, wheezing, vomiting…the works. I spent the first few hours of the morning trying to get in touch with the doctor and getting everyone dressed so we could get to her office. Once we left the house, we ended up out several hours, between the doctor’s office, x-ray lab and pharmacy.
As I was driving home after 2pm, I realized a good chunk of our day was already gone. The good news is that I had already planned to be off for the day. I also thought about the fact that even if I wasn’t off, my work responsibilities are fairly easily shifted and I could have still taken the day off, working in the evening or another day instead.
I thought about parents who work a restricted schedule, who have to be at work at 8am every day even if they have a sick kid. I thought about the parents who would have had to use up a valuable sick day yesterday, or perhaps faced disciplinary action for missing another day at work. As if having a sick kid isn’t stressful enough, I imagined having to also worry about having problems at work because of the sick kid.
This is just one of many reasons that I value my family friendly work, and I would like to see more parents find it. My son, by the way, is feeling much better today.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Family Friendly is Good Business
I am doing some research this week for a project and have spent the last few days digging through studies looking for data to support the use of flexible work arrangements for businesses. Here are a few facts I found:
According to the 2002 National Study of the Changing Workforce, 73% of employees with high availability of flexible work arrangements reported a high likelihood that they would stay with their current employer for the next year. 39% of these employees reported, "high levels of loyalty and willingness to work harder than required to help their employers succeed."
According to the National Work Life Measurement Project, approximately one-third of managers indicated that their work group was more productive because it included employees who used flexible work arrangements
And some companies are reaping the rewards of the increased retention and productivity. Cisco’s tele-work program resulted in $195 million in increased productivity. Deloitte estimates they have saved 41.5 million in turnover costs since implementing flexible work options.
These are just a few of many statistics out there that demonstrate that flexible work is a good business decision for companies. So why aren’t more offering them?
According to the 2002 National Study of the Changing Workforce, 73% of employees with high availability of flexible work arrangements reported a high likelihood that they would stay with their current employer for the next year. 39% of these employees reported, "high levels of loyalty and willingness to work harder than required to help their employers succeed."
According to the National Work Life Measurement Project, approximately one-third of managers indicated that their work group was more productive because it included employees who used flexible work arrangements
And some companies are reaping the rewards of the increased retention and productivity. Cisco’s tele-work program resulted in $195 million in increased productivity. Deloitte estimates they have saved 41.5 million in turnover costs since implementing flexible work options.
These are just a few of many statistics out there that demonstrate that flexible work is a good business decision for companies. So why aren’t more offering them?
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Too Busy
A few weeks ago, my mom was watching the kids. They had been in to visit her at her office a few weeks earlier. She told the kids that her friends at work enjoyed meeting them and asked if they would like to come and visit again sometime. My four year-old Hank thought for a few moments, and then responded “well Nana I’m sorry, but we have a really busy summer planned. Maybe we can come see you sometime in the fall.”
I laughed at such a thoughtful response from a four year-old, but then I realized it was to some extent true. Which tells me that I need to slow down! Even though I try to limit our involvement in organized activities so they don’t feel overscheduled, they are picking up from me that we are always busy. I don’t remember the last time I woke up and didn’t have a ‘plan’ for how we were going to spend the day.
So, I am taking some time off this week and will reserve at least a few days to do nothing. When is the last time you had a day of “nothing”?
***Note: This post is part of the Blog Carnival hosted at the 4fabmoms blog, check out their blog here!***
I laughed at such a thoughtful response from a four year-old, but then I realized it was to some extent true. Which tells me that I need to slow down! Even though I try to limit our involvement in organized activities so they don’t feel overscheduled, they are picking up from me that we are always busy. I don’t remember the last time I woke up and didn’t have a ‘plan’ for how we were going to spend the day.
So, I am taking some time off this week and will reserve at least a few days to do nothing. When is the last time you had a day of “nothing”?
***Note: This post is part of the Blog Carnival hosted at the 4fabmoms blog, check out their blog here!***
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Helicopter Parents
You don’t want to be one! Helicopter parents are a relatively new phenomenon, mostly noticed in college settings (see full explanation of them here). Basically helicopter parents are known to hover around their kids, being overly involved in their lives.
I teach at a small college, but haven’t met any helicopter parents myself yet. However, I have heard stories from colleagues about parents calling them about their kids’ grades and demanding grade changes and other help for their kids.
Where are these parents coming from? Some suggest that technology such as the cell phone and e-mail has led parents to stay more connected to their kids. Because a kid can quickly call their mom or dad if they need advice on a decision, they make that call instead of making the decision on their own.
I just read an article by parenting expert Betsy Hart who suggests the growth in number of helicopter parents could be linked to parents who spend more time with their kids when they are young (see article). She is not suggesting that we don’t spend time with our kids, just that kids do need to learn to play independently. It really isn’t healthy for parents to hover over a child’s every move.
I have to agree with Betsy. I see many parents that don’t let their child make a move without them. These kids are usually the ones that have the most separation anxiety when they go to school. Also, I think parents that do something for themselves seem to be happier. Whether it is work, a hobby or even volunteer work, having a focus other than your child is good for you. Do you agree?
I teach at a small college, but haven’t met any helicopter parents myself yet. However, I have heard stories from colleagues about parents calling them about their kids’ grades and demanding grade changes and other help for their kids.
Where are these parents coming from? Some suggest that technology such as the cell phone and e-mail has led parents to stay more connected to their kids. Because a kid can quickly call their mom or dad if they need advice on a decision, they make that call instead of making the decision on their own.
I just read an article by parenting expert Betsy Hart who suggests the growth in number of helicopter parents could be linked to parents who spend more time with their kids when they are young (see article). She is not suggesting that we don’t spend time with our kids, just that kids do need to learn to play independently. It really isn’t healthy for parents to hover over a child’s every move.
I have to agree with Betsy. I see many parents that don’t let their child make a move without them. These kids are usually the ones that have the most separation anxiety when they go to school. Also, I think parents that do something for themselves seem to be happier. Whether it is work, a hobby or even volunteer work, having a focus other than your child is good for you. Do you agree?
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Re-Entry for Dads
Most that is written advising parents on returning to work after time home raising children is targeted at moms. While it is tough for at-home moms to return to work, companies are not surprised when they are faced with a female job candidate with a resume gap.
Men who choose to stay-at-home face bigger challenges. While women may earn some respect for their choice to stay-at-home, men are often stereotyped as lacking ambition and commitment to their career. (Read an article from MSNBC about some of the challenges here). As more men choose the stay-at-home route, acceptance of their decisions should improve. Until then, stay-at-home dads who want to return to work will have to make some additional efforts.
Men should take the same steps women take to stay in the loop in their careers during time at home. Continuing to do some contract work, keeping certifications up and volunteering can help keep skills sharp. Further, when ready to return to work, men should focus on companies that do have family friendly policies and practices. While negative stereotypes will likely still exist, they will face less bias targeting a family friendly company.
Men who choose to stay-at-home face bigger challenges. While women may earn some respect for their choice to stay-at-home, men are often stereotyped as lacking ambition and commitment to their career. (Read an article from MSNBC about some of the challenges here). As more men choose the stay-at-home route, acceptance of their decisions should improve. Until then, stay-at-home dads who want to return to work will have to make some additional efforts.
Men should take the same steps women take to stay in the loop in their careers during time at home. Continuing to do some contract work, keeping certifications up and volunteering can help keep skills sharp. Further, when ready to return to work, men should focus on companies that do have family friendly policies and practices. While negative stereotypes will likely still exist, they will face less bias targeting a family friendly company.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
