How Important is Workplace Flexibility to Dads?
June 17th, 2009 | by Leanne
This weekend is father’s day and it’s nice to see Dads and workplace flexibility getting some ink already. My question this week is how important is workplace flexibility to the Dads? Please feel free to weigh in even if your kids are fully grown or if you haven’t decided whether or not you are going to have kids, yet. Also, women feel free to weigh in for your husbands/partners/kids’ Dads.
As for my husband, I know having the flexibility to pursue a challenging career while also having his employer understand that time for our little one is extremely important to him is a must. And not just for him but also for many of his colleagues. They schedule playdates together, they compare notes about what’s going on with their little ones and they can’t imagine spending father’s day anywhere but fully engaged with the kids. And unlike this father, they also understand that raising children is not something for their wives to do, but something for both parents to be part of – weekdays, weekends, all the time.
So if parenting is going to be the responsibility of all, then workplaces need to be more flexible for all. Dads, do you agree? Moms what do you think? And how about all of you who aren’t parents…do you think parents get more flexibility at work or do you believe flex is available for all?
A gift card to your favorite coffee/iced coffee location will be given out to one of you who give your opinion here, or on CLC’s facebook page or on twitter by tweeting to @leanneclc.
Congratulations to my friend Stephanie for winning last week. She schooled me on the correct word to use for “coffee klatch” and commented on the weighty topic of donuts. My thoughts are with her and her family this week as they continue to need workplace flexibility and lots of coffee while dealing with the health issues that arise as our parents age and we find ourselves in “The Middle Place.”
3 Comments
Thanks for the link!
Flexibility in the work place adds a great deal to the quality of both my personal and professional lives. Professionally the constant change provides stimulation and intellectual challenge. In my personal life, a flexible workplace permits me to be a better husband and father. I highly value being able to accommodate my wife’s business (and personal) travels, attending my child’s doctor appointments, being able to take my daughter to school once in a while, etc. I think a flexible work life helps make all of us feel a little more balanced.
I think workplace flexibility is great, but I also think too many people want flexibility without considering the downsides of flexibility. I have terrific flexibility. I generally take my kids to school, I can work from home, and as long as nothing is going on, I can leave when I need to leave. However, I work very much in a results-focused environment (which means there are times when I seem to work a bit too much), and the pay is not too great. But, for me, the flexibility is much more important than the pay and I do well in the results-focused environment.
Yet, in this “I want it all” world, a lot of people say they want flexibility, but they don’t want to exercise discipline when working from home, they don’t want to lose the money that comes with shortened work weeks, and they don’t want the hassle of having to demonstrate results. If you fall into any one of these categories, then that decreases your ability to function well in a flexible environment.
I think in a perfect world, moms and dads would both work within a flexible environment of some sort (and I think nearly all occupations could provide some flexibility). However, we also have to make a conscious decision to live with the upsides of flexibility as well as the downsides. Everything comes with a downside (generally).
Well, those are my two cents for this week.