blessingsabundance
New member
@rachele14 Yeah, my career is as important as his and my child is equally his child.
Would Working Moms Prefer a Hybrid Model of Remote and In-Office?
- Thread starter rachele14
- Start date
-
- Tags
- working moms
@blessingsabundance We're so fortunate that my husband's employer understands this. I know most do not. I attribute it to most of management being liberal boomer women. The only one who ever gave him grief was a woman with young children herself that lamented our son going to daycare at 4 months. He asked if he would rather he quit. Of course he did end up dropping to part time but that's due to circumstance.
blessingsabundance
New member
@deelo00 Men are expected to neglect their children generally. My husband took 3 months of paternity leave (after I took 6 months and returned to work) and they were ok with it at his job.
His company allows men to do this but very few chose to. And those who rise through the ranks quickly don’t take any leave. Men who parent on equal terms are not getting promotions. They are not seen as ‘taking the job seriously’.
So yeah, there’s a long way to go.
His company allows men to do this but very few chose to. And those who rise through the ranks quickly don’t take any leave. Men who parent on equal terms are not getting promotions. They are not seen as ‘taking the job seriously’.
So yeah, there’s a long way to go.
@rachele14 While I do appreciate the perspective and agree with some aspects of it, it all felt a bit too tailored to the author’s individual needs. She doesn’t mention a commute or annoying office politics that went by the wayside when working from home. She also owns a coffee company and needs people to come to work. As an alternate perspective, I love working from home and, yes, eventually I wouldn’t mind going into the office once a week (or less) to have face-to-face catch-ups and meetings. But right now I can take 10 minute breaks with my 3 year old (and his caretaker) and then go back to work. I can kiss him before nap and hug him when he wakes up. Remote work has opened up job opportunities in other states that I would never consider applying for if it meant that I had to uproot my family. WFH means I can throw in a load of laundry while I’m on a call and gain valuable time back on the weekends. I can unload the dishwasher and easily eat something healthy for lunch. I can squeeze in a workout (or a shower) in the time I’m not commuting. I can actually get my son to bed ON TIME. I’m not interrupted by gossipy coworkers while I’m on a deadline. I mean, truly, the list of benefits for me goes on and on. I think it’s unfair to say all those articles were written by men. I’m a working mom who is benefiting a lot from WFH and would love for it to continue to be accepted and normal in corporate America. Measure output and quality, not time stamps.
honestdad79
New member
@rachele14 After this is over, I want to go back to the office at least 3 days a week. I'd be fine with 100% at the office. I miss the water cooler chat. Miss my friends. And above all, I miss having a place where I am my working self and not my mom self. I find that at home, I am constantly looking at the laundry, taking a break to clean the bathroom, running errands between meetings. I'm having a hard time breaking away from home life to concentrate on work which is starting to affect my performance.
BUT...in the meantime, while there is no school, there is no daycare, this is survival. until my kids are taken care of, I have no choice but work from home and my employer is just going to have to deal with that.
BUT...in the meantime, while there is no school, there is no daycare, this is survival. until my kids are taken care of, I have no choice but work from home and my employer is just going to have to deal with that.
@honestdad79 This is me 100%. I get way too distracted at home and have a hard time getting anything done
smbcoolguy
New member
@rachele14 A hybrid version post-pandemic is ideal. Before the pandemic, I was WFH 1-2 days a week. Now I’ve been at home for 4 months straight. I’m an introverted data analyst so I have a quiet desk job with little human action to begin with, but it gets old sometimes. I’m ready to get back to a hybrid model. 2 days at home is ideal for me. Enough flexibility in the schedule while also providing much needed face to face time with others (from a safe distance).
@smbcoolguy Was that something your employer already offered, or did you ask for it?
smbcoolguy
New member
@rachele14 Which part exactly?
@smbcoolguy You were WFH 1-2 days a week pre-pandemic.
smbcoolguy
New member
@rachele14 Yes, that was a request I made during the hiring process. My commute is 35 minutes so I requested that I be allowed to WFH at least one day a week. When I was pregnant I worked at home 2-3 days a week most weeks. It was part of the negotiation process and thankfully it worked out in my favor.
@smbcoolguy Is 35 minutes a long commute in your area?
smbcoolguy
New member
@smbcoolguy That's so crazy to me. I'm happy for you and your family, don't get me wrong, but in my city it's good to be at 45 minutes. 20 is either luck or the result of a really high salary, or a combination. My husband is currently at 90min each way but only goes in two days a week. At least, it was before COVID. Stay where you are!
smbcoolguy
New member
@rachele14 I prefer to work from home when not seeing patients (MD). My commute is wasted time and money. I can do admin tasks from my home office.
@rachele14 Home full time. I was before the pandemic but she went to daycare and it was great.
@rebecca25 I would love to have just one day of daycare back. I love having him home but I miss the day my husband and I both were WFH and could go out for lunch together 
@rachele14 AbsoFRICKIutely. My job does require SOME in-office time, I do legal work and there are original signatures and paper filings involved. That can’t be avoided. And, I like getting out of the house, seeing my coworkers, having that face time. But a big chunk of my work is client correspondence, and that can easily be done from home. COVID has proven fins. And I am much more fulfilled as a mom when I can spend that time near my kids, even if I’m occupied. It’s less time in rush hour traffic and I’m closer if they need me. I am clinging to all hope that my company will continue to allow us to use this schedule once the pandemic has ended.