Supporting Working Parents and its Impact on Women

Women have to overcome the barriers of parenthood, often with minimal support from their employers; men tend to be applauded for holding down a career and managing their fatherly duties. At a basic level, there is a lack of support for families, working parents face many struggles, and if companies are to empower women they need to begin supporting working parents across the board, “As in an Olympic relay race, working parenthood depends on the ability to successfully navigate transition points — the hand-offs, the turns. Coming back from leave, welcoming a second or third child, or accepting a change in role or schedule are just a few of the transition points that can derail or strain the most competent working parent employee. That’s why concentrating benefits and programming on these critical points can yield significant return on investment.

Johnson & Johnson permits mothers and fathers to use their parental leave on a phase-back basis, ensuring not only time out of office but also a gentler return transition. As Peter Fasolo, global head of HR, states: The company doesn’t “dictate how someone should slice up those weeks” of leave. Other organizations offer counseling and support for parent employees who are changing roles or moving to a new office or region. Easing these pivot points can keep your employees more focused and engaged in the moment — and over the long haul” (Dowling, 2017). By supporting parents who are currently employed, it allows mothers and fathers to have the opportunity to work cohesively as a team without the additional stress of meeting the demands of work, and then falling short when situations involving their children arise that are out of their control. There is absolutely no way women can advance in the workplace until their role as primary caregiver is acknowledged as an archaic stereotype, organizations implement programs geared towards the challenges of working mothers such as support groups and peer coaching, and comprehensive initiatives that create an environment

where all parents feel comfortable enough to relay to their employers what they need in order to best perform in their designated office role.

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