Listen to Your Mothers

Don’t miss this important talk about pregnancy loss and improving workplace policies - today at 12pm ET!

Check out Listen to Your Mothers' co-founder, Katrina M. featured in Benepass's most recent blogpost on Employee Benefits Benchmarking. “The most impactful step that HR leaders and employers can take to attract and retain top talent is to offer as much flexibility as possible within the scope of their business operations and services. A competitive, comprehensive, and equitable benefits program must address what parents and caregivers most need to balance work and family responsibilities—including flexibility in time off and leaves, flexible work schedules, and hybrid or remote work.” - Katrina M. Link to full article in the comments. #benefits #peopleandculture #flexibility #listentoyourmothers

📢 Benefits are of no use to anyone if they just sit in a policy handbook. This Newsweek article (link in comments) brings to light what many working parents are thinking: taking full advantage of company benefits can sometimes feel like asking for too much, but is critical to burnout prevention and employee retention. Here are a few ways to encourage employees to use the benefits your organization offers: 👉 Regularly review utilization rates for benefits and PTO your organization offers 👉 Provide ongoing training for managers and employees on available benefits, flexible work policies, leave and PTO coverage planning 👉 Ensure that senior management is modeling taking time off, talking openly about responsibilities outside of work, and upholding boundaries around work/life 👉 Solicit feedback from employees on current benefit offerings to inform future policy and benefit offerings Don’t let your benefits collect dust. #listentoyourmothers #workingparents #workplacebenefits

"Childcare has become the make-or-break benefit for employees," according to this article put out this week by the Boston Business Journal (https://lnkd.in/eYagtMB4) Of particular note to employers "66% of working parents planning to expand their families in the future say they would wait until they were at a company with better family planning benefits." Shout out to the companies (Seamen's Bank) and coalitions (Massachusetts Business Roundtable, Massachusetts Business Coalition for Early Childhood Education, Strategies for Children) featured in this article who have been working together to develop creative employer-led childcare solutions. Let's keep the momentum going!

A few weeks ago, the U.S. Surgeon General warned us about something we’ve already known: parents are stressed. So what can employers do to help? Here are a few ideas. ➡️ Childcare solutions that fit your business, such as stipends, on-site childcare, childcare savings accounts, or access to backup childcare with pre-screened providers (check out more in the comments). ➡️ Free or discounted mental health services, wellness apps, and organizations that provide specialized support to parents, such as those with children with disabilities. ➡️ Leave policies supporting parents no matter the age of their children, including bereavement leave covering the loss of a pregnancy, medical leave for parents whose children face unexpected medical diagnoses, etc. Remember, there’s no one size fits all solution to supporting working parents. For example, some parents might have older children and thus might not need year-round childcare (if any at all), but having access to back-up childcare could help. Identify and weigh your options with an assets and opportunities assessment so that you know how to best support your working parents. Check out a few resources in the comments. #ListenToYourMothers #WorkingMothers #MentalHealthMatters

We asked nearly 3,000 women who recently returned from fully paid parental leave: What were your biggest concerns BEFORE you went on parental leave? Here’s what they told us 👇🏻 What jumps out to you? Here are my biggest takeaways: 💻 Work concerns are significant (top concern is career progression!), and women are very worried about how their absence will impact their coworkers and projects ⌛ How much time women are able to take for paid parental leave is really, really important to them 🧒🏼 Childcare is a massive problem ... nearly 60% of these women noted this as a major concern 👀 Women are worried about how the act of simply taking parental leave would impact how their coworkers perceive them at work 🩺 Health concerns are NOT widespread – potentially because these folks have access to quality healthcare through their employers ********* This data is from Parentaly‘s survey of  nearly 3,000 women who took paid parental leave in the past three years. Want to see more of the survey results? The full report goes live in mid-September, but I’ll be sharing key takeaways between now and then. Follow me (Allison Whalen) to follow along! 

Wow I'm 90% done calendaring the kids' school dropoffs, pickups, and activities for the fall!! 🎆 #peoplemanagers #HRleaders- How do you support your team member caregivers around back-to-school transitions? Let us know in the comments (with Listen to Your Mothers)

Managers, it’s National Breastfeeding Month and August 7th marks the end of World Breastfeeding Week. Chances are you might have someone on your team who is breastfeeding or planning to soon. Here are six ways you can support mothers who decide to pump at work: 1. Say no to back-to-back meetings (everyone will thank you) 2. Find coverage when necessary 3. Offer a comfortable pumping space 4. Use scheduling software to easily book a pumping room 5. Be flexible, allow for remote work 6. Ask your employees for feedback Don’t let your best employees walk away. Check out more tips in the comments. #pumpingatwork #workingmoms #listentoyourmothers

The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics 🏅 has had so many great wins... for moms! Here are a few of our favorite working mom moments at this year's Olympics. 1. On-site nursery. Thanks to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and decorated Olympian and mother of two, Allyson Felix, parents with young children have child care available and a space for breastfeeding right within the Olympic Village. 2. Nearby hotels: Breastfeeding moms and their families were offered hotel rooms close to the Olympic Village for additional privacy and comfort. 3. Moms showing up and showing out. Did you see Egyptian fencer, Nada Hafez, compete at seven months pregnant or South Korea’s sharpshooter, Kim Ye-ji, effortlessly win a silver medal while donning her daughter’s stuffed elephant in her pocket? So many queens to celebrate! It doesn’t take much to enable employees (or in the Olympic’s case, athletes) to perform their best and succeed. Are there any other “working mom” moments you’re loving from the Olympics thus far? What else can organizations like the IOC do to support working moms? #ListenToYourMothers #WorkingMothers