Commentary
Two articles and Thanksgiving experiences prompt this post. Whether rural, urban or suburban, parents are taxed. The effects of changing school schedules, daycare limitations, restrictions on gatherings and physical distancing play out in family lives and at work. Virtual care helps, but only goes so far. Even with optimum resources, parents are stressed to know which is the right choice. Their waffling fuels even more workplace confusion.
So, what is actionable?
Flexibility in the workplace is the one constant that many parents cite as helping them manage their child-care needs and their careers.
Two articles address these issues. Just as we assess each animal individually, there is no single solution. Remaining aware, flexible and informed is helpful, however.
Source: Who’s watching the kids? High Plains Journal, November 20, 2020. Link. Economic development directors and community leaders have raised the alarm for years about a checklist of infrastructure improvements that will drive business development in rural areas. The issue of quality childcare remains a chasm.
Source: 3 ways companies can retain working moms right now, Harvard Business Review, November 12, 2020. Link. It is no longer an option for managers to pretend that their employees do not have lives outside of their jobs, as these evaporated boundaries between home and work are not going away anytime soon.
. . . one in four women are considering either leaving the workforce or reducing their work hours.”
INSIGHTS: The little man in the photo is lucky. His parents have built flexibility into their management positions and they have accessed a small, closed-group daycare to support their careers. Still, the collective stress and fatigue from all the juggling was evident during a secure holiday meet-up. Although difficult, the boys’ aunt chose to stay away. She is a music teacher and is continually at risk of exposure from working in a public school that cannot make up its mind between on-site, hybrid and virtual classroom models.
The HBR article states that employees are watching. Maybe the first order of the day for employees and team members is to ask, “who’s watching the kids?” and adjust from there.