The modern woman wants it all – a career, a family, the domestic duties of homelife. Is that even realistic in a modern world where the pressures for perfection are a just scroll away, portrayed in every fuzzy, filtered Instagram post? Time is the enemy of every woman, who dreams of sitting on the PTA board and in the boardroom. I regret having to make a choice, especially when the choice is between my children and a career.
After college, I worked in the traditional corporate world for a decade; my career was my “baby.” I got married and had three children in short succession. With the birth of my first child, I was grateful for the time to be at home with my son. I had twins shortly after, went back to work, and that’s when life as a working mom got really hectic! I wanted to continue working for the financial security it provided the family and the ability it gave me to sharpen my skills. However, a traditional job outside of the home no longer met my needs.
The desire for work/life balance was the driver of my employment objectives, and some experiences have been better than others. However, as the newest associate at EtterOps, I have finally found that happy balance between parent and professional. It is so refreshing to experience a culture that values client satisfaction as much as personal fulfillment. I settled into my new role as a “virtual” employee long before COVID-19 changed the face of employment around the world.
Gallup recently surveyed employers about their remote work preferences and policies since the COVID-19 outbreak. The recent article, How Coronavirus Will Change the ‘Next Normal’ Workplace, explores the new face of employment, specifically the change from on-site to remote work. More than half of at-home workers say they would prefer to continue working remotely as much as possible once business and school occupancy restrictions are lifted. The fact that many working parents are also now full-time caregivers and homeschoolers shapes opinions about virtual employment.
The bottom line is that opinions are shifting, and businesses are listening. For many employers, this pandemic has led to an enlightening experiment. Both employees and managers have experienced the positive benefits of working from home and say that more remote work options will be available once the quarantine is lifted.
I can relate to that shift in opinion, given my own experience of blending parenting and working from home. With my children in school, my pre-quarantine work schedule was predictable and manageable. But child-rearing is often neither. Now that they’re home, my success now depends on a great deal of flexibility to meet the needs of my clients and my children. I am very fortunate that I work for a family-centered organization that gives me the resources and opportunity to be successful at both.
We have all had a unique experience adapting to a worldwide pandemic; one we may never see again in our lifetime. The impacts of this pandemic could produce long-term change for each of us. Now that I have lived the benefits of remote working, I personally applaud the companies that choose to offer a variety of working options in the future.
It turns out the modern woman CAN have it all.
To view the entire article from Gallup, click here:
https://www.gallup.com/workplace/309620/coronavirus-change-next-normal-workplace.aspx