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I once had a colleague who thought there were too many perks for moms. Single and in her early 50s, “H” just didn’t think it was fair that mothers got benefits that included maternity leave and other “advantages” that weren’t available to other employees.
So I posed this question to Mindy Stewart, a local businesswoman and co-founder of KidCentric, Inc., which provides consulting and management services for businesses, government entities and nonprofits looking to address the child care needs of their employees or clients. I wrote about Stewart in today’s story, “Work & Kids: Helping Helping new mothers manage work.”
“I talk a lot about the equitability versus equity,” said Stewart, whose goal is to show businesses how they can increase productivity and nurture company loyalty by becoming more family-friendly. “Most companies provide vision care, but not everyone wears glasses. They also offer health care, but some people don’t get sick as much … Businesses need to look at their employees as part of a life cycle. People are at different stages of that cycle at different times.”
“H” and I are still friends despite the fact that we will never agree on this issue. What do you think? Do you think companies bend over backwards for employees with children or are they not doing enough to promote work/life balance in order to increase the likelihood that these employees will stay?
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je9je9 on April 06 at 10:14 p.m.
The old, “If I can’t have it, no one should have it.” I hear a lot of complaints about state or federal workers getting decent benefits. Instead of saying we should all get good benefits, the logic goes that the state and federal workers should lose their benefits. This feels similar. Does it really take away from “H” and other childless workers if mothers are happy and productive workers?
avocet on April 07 at 7:24 a.m.
Shouldn’t everyone be a happy and productive worker? Things like flextime, telecommuting, leave time, etc. should be offered to all employees, not just parents. Otherwise it amounts to special treatment for what is essentially a lifestyle choice, and employers should not be compensating workers based on their personal choices.
Portiabella on April 07 at 9:50 a.m.
Maternity leave isn’t an issue. If I needed to take time off for surgery or a broken bone, it would be the same as the temporary disability that is maternity leave. I wouldn’t get paid for that time off like I would with maternity leave, but that’s how it goes.
What workers without children resent is that the workers with children get time off more easily than we do. I work with people who call in whenever their kids are sick, get to leave early to take their kid to the doctor or pick them up from school, get first choice for time off for soccer games or whatever, etc etc. Meanwhile, I’m expected to be at work on time and never leave early, because, as I’ve had it explained to me, “You don’t have kids so you don’t have an excuse.”
That’s the problem. The idea that only children are valid reasons for needing a flexible work schedule is insulting to those of us without children. According to this logic, my husband getting sick doesn’t merit time off. If my parents are in the hospital I’m expected to cover my shifts. The absolute one-sidedness of flextime for parents and no one else is what we object to.
je9je9, if all you’re going to do is present a lame strawman argument, then you’re not helping your side whatsoever.
MaryJones on April 07 at 10:13 a.m.
I think its also unfair that parents seem to expect - and often get - first dibs or preferential treatment when it comes to asking for time off around the holidays. Everybody has family and friends they like to visit with then, not just parents. Parents are often allowed to work from home before anybody else during bad weather, etc. If people foresee that their job and life are going to be impacted so greatly that all sorts of new provisions are going to have to be made for them, maybe they should think twice about having that kid in the first place. If I were a manager, I’d never hire a parent or anybody of child-bearing age.
avocet on April 07 at 10:18 a.m.
Exactly, Portiabella! It’s the double standard that is what we have issue with. Everyone should be entitled to the same benefits, childed or not.