What does your company do to support WMs?

FancyFrenchie

Our company currently has no WM policy (I'm not talking about ML), and I would like to present a proposal to upper management, so right now I'm trying to find out what other companies offer. Flex hours, working from home... what else?!

CrazyToast

Nothing - I'm a teacher, we have to do our job the same whether we are parents or not.

QueSrah

Look at the Working Mom magazine's annual list of the best companies to work for - it lists what those companies offer that makes them so great.  Although I actually work for one of the companies on the list and most of those "great for working parents" policies aren't actually offered in my position and department.  (For example, telecommuting is widespread in some departments, but frowned upon in others, and only offered in some groups if you're in a position that's exempt from overtime reporting.)

DCMerged

Well, at the very least there could be something about a private place to pump breastmilk. This is good for the company because BF babies get sick less and therefore less days moms have to take to take care of sick babies. It also encourages retention if BF is important to the WMs. There are probably already laws that cover this but even so, alot of moms in my office have had to use the bathroom. A policy that encourages supervisors to accommodate pumping might help moms feel that they can ask for this even if it is law.

While I understand the idea that people should be treated differently because they are parents, there is drop off when women have kids and if the company is concerned about this then more power to them to try and do things to keep good people there.

jennyelf

LibraryChica:

MRoss1982:

Nothing. No one gets treated any differently because they are a parent.

This and, I don't work in HR, but I don't think you can offer benefits to only certain parts of your workforce. My company does have work/life balance perks that they offer to everyone -- a 9/80 work schedule, plentiful vacation, employee discounts to gyms/entertainment/etc -- and some benefits that only apply to parents/caregivers -- assistance in finding childcare/elderly care and dependent-care flex accounts, but they don't have a "working mom" policy. I've never heard of such a thing.

This. Work life balance affects all caregivers so my work has a number of things that help with that like access to emergency childcare (for days you have to be at work but LO is too sick for DC), flex accounts, child care grants, employee discounts, and flex scheduling. I think about the only thing that is Working Mom specific is having a nursing mother's room. Ours has a fridge, sink, 3 cubicles w/ curtains for pumping, and lockers to store our stuff.  So we can have up to 3 people pumping at a time and if more people are there, they can hang out in the space outside the cubicles where the fridge/sink/cubbies are until someone is done.

JerseyMa27

Everyone has the same rights. The offer flexible hours to everyone. The have a nursing room available. The also offer you an additional 6 weeks past the usual 6 weeks of maternity leave. If you extend the 6 weeks to 12, you get paid at 66% of your regular pay. I wish I could've taken advantage of this but I could not afford to. You get paid your regular pay for the 6 weeks of maternity leave as well (8 if you have to have a c-section).

What kinds of things are you hoping to change?

Personally, I wish my company offered a discount on childcare. The offer discounts on gym memberships and other things, so why not childcare? 

salt78

I work with mostly women who are moms and we don't have anything like what you mentioned. Though if the child can't go to daycare for whatever reason, it isn't frowned upon for them to come in to the office for awhile.

FancyFrenchie

Thanks for all your responses. A few things:

- I live and work in Mexico, so things are obviously different down here.

- My upper management is very open to new ideas and specifically for my department, the idea is that the kind of person that works out best is a mom-type and my GM has even mentioned that I should speak to HR about putting a daycare in here.

- There are also lots of women in administrative rolls throughout the company and one just came back from ML, 2 are pregnant, sevearl plan on getting pregnant in the next few months and several already have young children. We do not even have a lactation room (not the law here), but we are an international company and I'm trying to get information from other companies, here in Mexico, as well as Brazil and USA/Canada and I highly believe that if I present a decent proposal, the company would go for it, as there is a lot of emphasis on bettering the workplace and I don't know why we couldn't aspire to be one of the Top Companies for Working Moms in this city.

- By working moms, it could also be working dads, but let's just say that with the culture the way it is, a working moms thing would probably fly easier!

KathrynMD

QueSrah:

Look at the Working Mom magazine's annual list of the best companies to work for - it lists what those companies offer that makes them so great.  Although I actually work for one of the companies on the list and most of those "great for working parents" policies aren't actually offered in my position and department.  (For example, telecommuting is widespread in some departments, but frowned upon in others, and only offered in some groups if you're in a position that's exempt from overtime reporting.)

Ditto - so infuriating when they have crow about how they've been recognized for their great support for working mothers.  Ugh

bearkatjen

They are in the midst of adding nursing rooms, but I can't think of anything else that is directly aimed at working moms or working parents. Within my department, the supervisors encourage a work/life balance. We can not telecommute, but we are allowed flexibility in our schedule as long as we meet ft hours.

TnArichmond

 Out of the 20 or so people in my office, 16 of us have children, most of them young. My company is very good with emergancy call-offs or partial days due to illness, dr appts, etc.

The worst part is that since we are such a small company and I don't work 40 hours a week (I only work 32 since I am a part time student) I will not be eligible for Maternity Leave.

ChicagoWeded2007

I think back up childcare is the best thing my company offers. Bright Horizons offers it.

DallasLonghorn97

KathrynMD:

QueSrah:

Look at the Working Mom magazine's annual list of the best companies to work for - it lists what those companies offer that makes them so great.  Although I actually work for one of the companies on the list and most of those "great for working parents" policies aren't actually offered in my position and department.  (For example, telecommuting is widespread in some departments, but frowned upon in others, and only offered in some groups if you're in a position that's exempt from overtime reporting.)

Ditto - so infuriating when they have crow about how they've been recognized for their great support for working mothers.  Ugh

Ok - me too. I work for one of those companies and don't get me wrong, there are some thing my employer does better - 8 weeks 100% mat leave, wellness/nursing rooms in every office, etc. My function consists of people who all work from home although some go into the local office (global company). HOWEVER, what is ridiculous is the workload and overtime expected. I know many mom's who are miserable simply b/c there is too much work to do and not nearly enough people or funding for the right amount of staff, yet the expectation is constantly to do more/provide more service. My employer is not a pay leader, so the primary thing that keeps the moms here is the ability to work from home.

dor79

My mother used to work for a company that offered:

5 family care days a year

1 graduation day a year

2 moving days

 

jeffsjayme

They pay me?

Beyond that, they let me go part-time when my son was born, but they would've done that no matter my reason (working mom or just cause I wanted to). 

Nechie122

My DH's employer actually offers the best working parent perks. First of all, they run their own daycare at five sites, at a savings of 500 dollars a month over private daycares in the city. Second, they have a Parents in a Pinch service to provide backup elderly and childcare. They also have a valet service that will pick up your laundry or even take your car in for an oil change. Anyone can access the service, but it's especially great for time crunched parents!

Margaret Lemon

We have very good ( for US standards) mat leave. (I was off close to 6 months). 

Flex spending account for medical/child care. A concierge service to help find child care, and help with chores. This is not just for parents. Anyone can use the service.

Parental leave is avail for dads. Financial help for adoptive parents, seminars on how to pay for college.  flexible schedules if needed. 

Nursing moms are able to bring their babies on business trips.  Overall we have great benefits. They are not aimed just at working moms, but all types of family situations.  (a lot of these benefits also work if you are taking care of an elderly parent for example). 

1026pumpkin

To be fair, I would phrase the improvements as "work/life benefits" because all employees should be entitled to similar perks.  A pumping room and reimbursing costs of shipping breastmilk home/hotel fridges when travelling are the only WM-specific things I can think of.  Some benefits my last company offered:

* On-site daycare, emergency daycare, and affiliation with several local and national DC chains that offered a discount to employees

* They matched contributions to dependant care savings accounts (up to a certain %).

* Offered adoption assistance.

* 100% paid STD where company continued to make retirement and insurance payments during leave

* Offered flex schedules and telecommuting options

Strunella

I'm about to start at one of the companies listed as the best places to work by Working Mother's magazine.  Some of the benefits include:

- Discounted childcare
- Backup on-site childcare
- Extended paid maternity leave, beyond 8 weeks STD
- Extended non-paid leave, beyond FMLA
- 3 weeks paid paternal leave
- Adoption assistance and fertility benefits
- Flex time and reduced schedules
- Mom's mentor program ("veteran" moms mentor new moms)
- Nursing mom's room
- Nursing mom's program (pump discounts and counseling support)

Mrs_Lady

nothing- work/ life balance sucks. only benefit is that I work close to home (less than 3 miles). sadly I am in HR in healthcare. I do plan on leaving shortly after baby is 6months if not earlier!

Lahardy96

As others noted, my company doesn't do anything special for working moms, other than provide a nursing room as required by law.  That being said, I think it's important for work life balance and flexibility to be open to all.  The more it becomes about everyone and each individual's priorities, the less resentment there is about someone leaving early for a kid's performance because the other individual left early another night for a volleyball league.  I work hard in my department to promote flexibility amongst everyone, as it encourages a better workplace environment and more productive employees.

 We allow for work from home a couple times a month as needed, on a request basis (whether it be to be there for a home service, to avoid the commute, or to get work done).  Leaving early is allowed, as long as advance notice is given and not abused, and work is made up other places.   And the day before a holiday we normal leave around 2pm.  This takes different forms - for one of my employees (not a parent), they work extra hours M-Th and leave by 2pm on Friday - not a parent.  I for one leave 3 days a week by 4:30 (so I can pick up my kids at daycare), but then will take 9pm calls.  Also, I worked it out with my boss that I come in late 1 day a week so I can take my kids to story time at libary.    Another employee leaves early one day a week for whatever sports league is in season. 

The key we have found is open and upfront communication.  Discuss and set expectations.  Let the employees know that we are willing to work with them and be flexible if they are responsible with it.  And we allow that flexibility in different forms for each employee.  We've turned my department around from the one everyone ran from, to the one that develops great talent that is stolen for other groups.