Tell Us About Your Great Boss
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Posted October 16th, 2007 by Donna
Jim Johnson, the owner of Johnson Moving and Storage and a self-described conservative, also knows firsthand about the benefits of a family-friendly workplace. After attending a talk by Joan Williams, author of Unbending Gender, Jim decided that his company would define individual jobs according to goals rather than just by the hours worked and where the job was done. Now, a quarter of his employees are off-site or virtual workers. Many others work flexible hours to fit their family or personal schedules. Jim's company now enjoys low rates of turnover and a higher quality workforce.
Do you have a story of a great boss or a family-friendly policy or practice that really works for you?
Women shouldn't be discriminated against simply because they are mothers... but they are! Read about true experiences of American mothers, and learn how shared problems can be solved. Members can download the first chapter of the book today.
I recently gave birth to my
I recently gave birth to my second son & was very grateful for all the support I received from my employer & all my co-workers. I work at Lowe's in Glasgow,KY & I found out I was pregnant shortly after I got the job.I had a wonderful pregnancy which I know is due in part to my co-workers & managers watching out for me & fussing when they thought I was doing too much.Since the baby's arrival they have been great about working with me on my schedule & even allow me to leave work early enough to get my older son off the school bus so I don't have to leave him with a babysitter.I hope they know how much I truly appreciate their help in allowing me to be there when my kids need me.
Family Friendly
I work for Adoptions Together, a private adoption agency outside of DC. When I was pregnant with my daughter I was not sure what I would do for childcare but I knew I had to return to work for financial reasons. After I had her, I approached my boss about the possibility of working from home. The agency shifted my responsibilities around a little and now I go to the office one day a week and work from home the rest of the time so I can be with my daughter. I am the only one in the agency with this arrangement, but it seems to be working for everyone. It is great to work for a place that works to strengthen families, both in and out of the organization.
Family Friendly
I work for a regional governing body of a mainline protestant church. We are the administrative offices for forty congregations in the region and I work 3/4 time with full benefits both my family and me. When my younger daughter was born last year I took eight weeks completely off, worked fifteen hours a week for a month upon return and brought my daughter with me until she was nearly seven months (and started to crawl). Was it difficult? Yes. Did I get as much work done as I would have without a child with me? No. Was it better than trying to pump every two hours or run home ot feed a baby? A million times! My boss routinely took my daughter when I was trying to negotiate a tricky phone call or a difficult meeting. She knew it was short term and that whatever challenges we faced with a baby present would soon be non issues as my daughter moved to staying at home with my husband. I'm still breastfeeding her (she's sixteen months) and I am immensely grateful for my good fortune to work for an organization and a person who put families and relationships first.
Population Action International
Population Action International was just named as one of The Washingtonian Magazine's "Great Places to Work" because of its family-friendly policies and flexibility!
PAI also just released a new report at Women Deliver in London: "A Measure of Survival: Calculating Women's Sexual and Reproductive Risk".
This report is unique because it recognizes that there are many factors that contribute to a woman's sexual and reproductive health. A Measure of Survival puts all the pieces of the puzzle together to form a complete picture. The report ranks 130 developing and developed countries according to sexual and reproductive risks, and provides steps to improve the lives of women, particularly in regards to their reproductive health, in all countries.
Check it out at http://www.populationaction.org/mos
Cheers,
Tyler LePard
tlepard(AT)popact(DOT)org
Define Family-Friendly
I am the mother of a breastfed 1 year old, and after returning to work after a measly 3 months leave - this country's pathetic limit - I pumped at the office for twice a day for about 20 minutes or so. I used this time as unpaid break - emailing my supervisor whenever I left and returned "just in case anyone had any questions about where I was". Now recently they want me to start clocking out when I pump, since they think that a year is long enough for someone to be nursing!!! Who are they to decide how long I should breastfeed my child? These are not particularly sophisticated people anyway, needless to say. They think they were doing me a huge special favor "since the company doesn't have breaks" - meanwhile the smokers who are slowly killing themselves are allowed - or rather not seen - taking their breaks without clocking out. Sure. Family-friendly. When are people going to get enough of this treatment?! I had my say to HR - and now get to play tattle tale about specific smokers who are taking breaks without permission.
Boss said to choose which job I wanted
I was divorced, so I took a second job to make ends meet. This job is on weekends only, I work from my home and I can be there for the kids. My boss from the regular job, that provides me with medical coverage etc, told me to choose which job I wanted. I was shocked, I was under the impression that what I did when I left the job was MY BUSINESS. He is from our plant in Mexico, so apparently he told the employees what to do down there on a regular basis. I laughed when I heard it was Bosses day.
Lorraine
p.s I did NOT quit the other job!
reality check
Offers of such things as sustained, unpaid (unpaid!) leave, minimal opportunity to re-jig work hours, and the "privilege" (as so many in this country regard it) of being allowed to work part time seem remarkably "family-friendly" only (only!) in a remarkably family-*hostile* workplace milieu such as that of the United States. Let's consider what truly deserves praise and set sights on worthwhile goals.
My sister's last employer, a university, offered four to five months' leave at full pay for new parents -- mother and father alike -- for the arrival of a new child, whether a birth child or an adopted child. This is one example of a practice that should be standard in this country. Celebration of less is, finally, celebration of too little.
support for a new and sick mom
I was two weeks into a new and demanding job at Oregon Health and Sciences University when I found out the I was pregnant by my boyfriend of less than one year. When I told my boss, she kindly said: "what do you want to do, and how can we help?" In my first trimester, I was diagnosed with Lupus and proceeded to experience multiple symptoms, some of which affected my ability to concetrate and be my most prodective at work. My boss and colleagues were unfailing caring and supportive, they always opterated under the assumption that I was doing my best. I stopped work two months prior to delivering due to my illness; when I made this decision, my boss and team told me that they were relieved that I would be taking better care of myself even though my leaving early meant that they needed to work harder. I delivered our healthy son and soon after was diagnosed with serious Lupus complications which required chemotherapy; my boss and colleagues continued to step forward so that I could work while coping with my illness and a new baby. My disease is now in remission. My boss and colleagues accomodate my childcare schedule when we set the work schedule. They have never expressed irritation or in any way made feel less of "the team" when my child's needs translates into less time or energy for work. Now that I am well, I find myself filled with such gratitude and loyalty to my co-workers and this work environment as well as passion for my work.
Part time work and flexible hours
I have the pleasure of working for the Mutual Fund Directors Forum - a non-profit organization in Washington, DC. I was hired full time during my pregnancy with the offer that following the birth of my son, I could return permanently on a part time basis. I was allowed to take unpaid maternity leave until my son was 5 months old, at which point I returned to work once a week. I recently bumped it up to two days per week. I am allowed to work the hours of 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. so that I can miss the rush hour and, instead, spend the time feeding my baby breakfast and visiting with him before he goes to the babysitter. Other parents in our organization enjoy the benefits of a boss who understands. Recently one of our dads left work early to stand in line for the premiere of Harry Potter to ensure his children got good seats. I feel very fortunate to be in a workplace that respects the most important job I have -- being a mother.
How about a card for Family Unfriendly Bosses!
He's even unfriendly to his own family!
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