::: First & foremost; all of us here at The Mom Project hope you and your families are staying well + safe. That's the most important thing and the rest is just that: the rest. :::
We interrupt your regularly scheduled #WFHWK day (ha!) with a meaningful PSA to employers ... You can get #WFHWK right. (Right now!) Let's do this ...
Dear Employer,
You can be a leader in people-centric productivity right now. Your decisions in the immediate term will live long after the dust settles on today’s uncertainty.
Be the cream right now: RISE TO THE TOP.
Working Hard With You,
Moms Everywhere
Let’s take a moment to discuss what’s on *all* our minds, ok?
R E M O T E.
A verb, a noun, an adjective, how our lives and reality feel right now.
While some *ahem* a lot of WFH (with kids or without) is WIP (whew!) our super adaptable and remote-ready community of talented moms clued us in to some flashes of delight shining through from their companies and workplaces.
And we weren’t about to keep them to ourselves ...
How Employers Can Get #WFHWK Right (right now!)
Prioritizing Family IS Culture: "I work for a company providing essential health IT support and I have 1 year old twins, a kindergartener and no school or childcare right now. Our leadership has created a culture of respect for family balance and supports flexibility around working hours through this public health emergency. I currently get about half of my workload done in the early morning and post-bedtime hours." -- Sara A.
Invest in Wellness & Mental Health: We’ve gotten reimbursed for home office and exercise equipment as well as virtual yoga, bootcamp, and meditation. Our leadership is holding weekly Q&A sessions and communicating updates often. They regularly acknowledge the juggle parents are facing. I’m proud we are able to speak up and be heard! This is a huge opportunity to flip the script on work-life balance and embrace work-life integration. I’m all in! -- Sherrie N.
Connection & Focus On What Matters: "Leadership has their kids and fur babies say "hi" during video meetings and we’re using the first 5-10 minutes of calls for personal check-ins. We’ve narrowed in on 2-3 things each person on our team is focusing on for the next few weeks (and moving all the rest to non-critical). We’re learning as we go, but I definitely feel supported and like we’re in it together." -- Shannon C.
Nimble Comms: Our leaders asked us to adopt a new protocol for communication. We use Slack, but they asked that we text our team if we need something urgently. This way no one feels pressured to be tethered to their desk all day as they’re balancing work and family time. We’re going through a lot of pivots, which can be stressful, so having that reassurance from our leaders is key! -- Aleshia C.
Psychological Safety: Relieving heavy psychological pressure on workers by ensuring everyone an 'Exceeds Expectations' performance review rating for the first half of 2020 was instituted at my company. One less major source of stress on the table is a huge win right now. -- Cristina T.
TL;DR for Companies: IF YOU ARE ABLE (we understand these are very difficult times for businesses, too) What are the top two action items you can implement by April 6th, 2020 that will alleviate stress from parents in your workforce for the next 90 days? These are extraordinary times. Shun bureaucracy and be nimble in supporting your internal stakeholders keeping the business running despite all the obstacles. You'll be remembered for this. Talk to your teams of parents, decide on a very quick plan, and communicate clearly and often. RESPECT is paramount. We're all going to get through this, together. Let's lead.
What’s your company doing // planning right now that’s working to support people through this once-in-a-lifetime challenge? Drop a comment below.
-- Or --
Need help getting your company an effective action plan? Reach out, let's chat: community@themomproject.com.
P.S. Keep up the convo with us (and thousands of moms) !
Head over to IG & LI for all the latest in WFH, WK, IRL, #socialdistancing style.
