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March 16. 2013 2:26AM
Last week, my column focused on the decision Yahoo CEO Marissa Meyer made about forcing Yahoo employees who were working remotely to begin working in an office.
This was definitely a controversial topic, but interestingly, it spawned another debate.
As readers of my column and others I spoke to chimed in with their opinion on the benefits of working remotely versus reporting to an office every day, another point was brought up related to Marissa Meyer: her recent maternity leave or lack thereof.
When Marissa Meyer joined Yahoo, she was pregnant. She made a decision to take only two weeks of maternity leave after her baby was born. Most people I spoke to were completely shocked when they learned of Meyer's decision and how quickly she returned to work. Granted, she was new to Yahoo, so this example is unique. But the fact is, she returned to work two weeks after having a baby, and that is almost unheard of.
Having a baby is a major life-changing event. Aside from the obvious adjustments families must make when welcoming a new child into the world, there is more to it. While I'm not a doctor or expert on the physical effects of giving birth, it's fair to say most people recognize that it's a pretty serious thing.
And that's why there are laws in place that allow mothers and fathers to take time off from work to care for their newborn child. The Family and Medical Leave Act allows employees to take 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to care for their newborn child within one year of birth. As they should, most people I know with new babies take full advantage of that.
After speaking to several women in my office who have recently had babies or are expecting, they feel very strongly that taking time off after their baby is born is critical. And I completely agree. I couldn't imagine a mother coming back to work two weeks after giving birth.
When it comes to the amount of working parents in the workplace today, the numbers are compelling. According to statistics published by the U.S. Department of Labor in 2012, both the husband and wife work in 58.5 percent of homes with children. That was actually lower than I expected, as in most families I know, both parents work. Unless one parent makes a substantial amount of money, it's extremely challenging to survive on one income. Unfortunately, it's rare to see these days.
Those who are involved in managing people have to face this reality and understand the challenges working parents face. While there will always be a job to get done, helping people work through the various changes in their life is critical to developing loyal and productive teams.
Most companies have good maternity leave policies that provide the opportunity for both parents to spend the necessary time with their new child. It's something that will never go away, and it's also something companies have to plan for. Sure, losing someone for an extended period is challenging, but it's not the end of the world.
It's important to be sensitive to the needs of new parents and trust me, if you are, they will appreciate it. There is nothing worse than feeling unnecessary stress and pressure in the workplace due to decisions you make for your family.
Christopher Thompson (cthompson@catch22solutions.com) writes Closing the Deal weekly for the New Hampshire Sunday News.
Christopher Thompson's Closing the Deal: It's not easy being a new parent
This was definitely a controversial topic, but interestingly, it spawned another debate.
As readers of my column and others I spoke to chimed in with their opinion on the benefits of working remotely versus reporting to an office every day, another point was brought up related to Marissa Meyer: her recent maternity leave or lack thereof.
When Marissa Meyer joined Yahoo, she was pregnant. She made a decision to take only two weeks of maternity leave after her baby was born. Most people I spoke to were completely shocked when they learned of Meyer's decision and how quickly she returned to work. Granted, she was new to Yahoo, so this example is unique. But the fact is, she returned to work two weeks after having a baby, and that is almost unheard of.
Having a baby is a major life-changing event. Aside from the obvious adjustments families must make when welcoming a new child into the world, there is more to it. While I'm not a doctor or expert on the physical effects of giving birth, it's fair to say most people recognize that it's a pretty serious thing.
And that's why there are laws in place that allow mothers and fathers to take time off from work to care for their newborn child. The Family and Medical Leave Act allows employees to take 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to care for their newborn child within one year of birth. As they should, most people I know with new babies take full advantage of that.
After speaking to several women in my office who have recently had babies or are expecting, they feel very strongly that taking time off after their baby is born is critical. And I completely agree. I couldn't imagine a mother coming back to work two weeks after giving birth.
When it comes to the amount of working parents in the workplace today, the numbers are compelling. According to statistics published by the U.S. Department of Labor in 2012, both the husband and wife work in 58.5 percent of homes with children. That was actually lower than I expected, as in most families I know, both parents work. Unless one parent makes a substantial amount of money, it's extremely challenging to survive on one income. Unfortunately, it's rare to see these days.
Those who are involved in managing people have to face this reality and understand the challenges working parents face. While there will always be a job to get done, helping people work through the various changes in their life is critical to developing loyal and productive teams.
Most companies have good maternity leave policies that provide the opportunity for both parents to spend the necessary time with their new child. It's something that will never go away, and it's also something companies have to plan for. Sure, losing someone for an extended period is challenging, but it's not the end of the world.
It's important to be sensitive to the needs of new parents and trust me, if you are, they will appreciate it. There is nothing worse than feeling unnecessary stress and pressure in the workplace due to decisions you make for your family.
Christopher Thompson (cthompson@catch22solutions.com) writes Closing the Deal weekly for the New Hampshire Sunday News.
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