Family Friendly Workplaces – The Key to Success

It takes a village to raise a child.” 
African Proverb

I like this quote because it means that it takes an entire community of different people interacting with children so that they can learn to grow into awesome adults in a safe, caring and learning environment. 

15 years ago, when I was interviewing for the accounting manager’s role for my accounting practice, one person stood out.  This person’s major request was workplace flexibility.  His son had just been born and he wanted more work flexibility to be part of his son’s life with his wife.

I remember looking at him and thinking what an amazing and enlightened request.  My experience in the male-dominated accounting profession to date was that men worked long hours away from their families each day and often on the weekend as well.  I had observed that these men did not know their children and often ended up divorced and alienated from their families.  I always thought that this was really sad for all concerned.

My response to my interviewee was that I was building my business around my family, so I didn’t see why he couldn’t too. 15 years later I still work with this person and I have had the privilege of seeing his family thrive around his professional and business career.

A few years after the interview, I shared my recruitment story at an accounting professional development workshop where we were discussing how to attract and retain professional team members.  One gentleman’s response was “That’s ridiculous!”

I remember another time where a business colleague and I were working late on a project.  Suddenly he received a call from his wife.  He shared with me that his wife was struggling to cope with their two sons with the evening routine.

I encouraged him to go home to help his wife.  I said to him that what we were working on could wait another day.  His wife needed him.  Parenting is the toughest job on the planet.

I also shared with him the phone call I had once received from my former husband who was the full-time carer and house dad.  Mid-afternoon my husband called, and his exact words were “If you want your daughter to survive, you better come home right now.”  I enquired what was the problem and he said that she had been unsettled, screaming and crying all day and he could no longer cope.  Of course, I dropped everything and went home.

As soon as I arrived home, our daughter settled, and her Dad went out to take some well-earned time out for his sanity.  He often said that he could not understand how women could be the full-time child carers.

Flexibility and a family friendly workplace thrived in our business because the owners did not see that the practice was ridiculous.  I also had given the men at the office permission to be part of the parenting without making them feel inadequate or lesser in their professional careers because they were taking family time.

This is the key to success for these practices.  The leaders and owners of the organisation need to believe that these practices are beneficial for their team members and practice them so that permission is given to all.   Policies and strategies will fail unless there is genuine belief and action from the example setters of the organisation.

Our children come to us but once and their formative years are precious.  It takes everyone and every organisation in the village being involved to allow them to grow into the best that they can be.

Look forward to any comments or feedback.