Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In campaign inspired a new generation of women to speak up and partake in the issues that matter to them. One of those issues is maternity leave and childcare.
Ivanka Trump, a successful businesswoman and mother of three, recently launched a child-care proposal looking at extending maternity leave. According to CNN, the proposal, “which includes a childcare tax credit and six weeks of maternity leave protection, carries a hefty $300 billion price tag.” The debated proposal opens the door to a conversation on healthcare and family needs that could look at the issue through a new lens: work-life balance.
Could More Work-Life Balance Help?
Even though pathways such as remote working (which allows for flexible work schedules to balance family needs with work commitments) are becoming normalized, these are options not afforded to many working Americans. In some companies, there is no flexibility. In other working environments, that flexibility is only offered to top performing employees while those in more traditional and administrative roles are anchored to their desks.
Yet perspectives might be shifting as these conversations continue to blossom. Employers who might feel burdened by the initial time off during maternity leave, are also slowly realizing that an employee who becomes a parent also becomes two other things:
(1) Highly efficient
Since relationship with time changes in a new parental role, parents learn that time isn’t something that spent; time is a precious resource.
(2) A dedicated team member
The relationship with employment changes; it’s not longer a job but a means to ensure a livelihood for a child.