In January, we expanded leave benefits to encourage employees to take time for themselves and to support their families. We spoke with a person who uses leave benefits to spend more time with her family.
What is your role at the company?
I am a Program Manager based in Australia, leading talent development programs for university students. Scholarship grants are provided to help students in computer science degrees build their technical skills and become leaders in the field.
Tell us about your career in the tech industry.
I joined the Talent and Outreach Programs team in 2016 as an operations specialist. My daughter was one and a half years old at the time. I was guilty of leaving her in daycare because she cried every day for seven months straight. I was able to take care of my daughter and still get my work done because I worked three days a week. I moved to a four-day work week after three years of working. I have had five different roles at the internet company.
What is your typical workday like?
My days are spent with my family. Chris and I take turns getting my daughter ready for school. After I sign off, I usually have dinner with my family. It has been an eye-opening experience for all of us to have a nightly routine where we share challenges and what we are grateful for. Because of the time differences between Australia and the U.S., I sometimes jump on conference calls in the evening.
The way you work has been affected by the Pandemic.
Challenges have been presented for everybody. The hardest part for me was being able to balance work and child care. My husband and I became teachers after my daughter's school closed. It was a huge relief when the Carer's Leave policy was extended by Google. Chris and I worked for half a day to make sure thatNatasha finished her schoolwork. My mother was in the hospital. It was important for me to be able to work from the hospital and spend time with her before she died. Both Chris and I work for organizations that care about our health, well-being and families.
What advice would you give to your boss?
It's important that prioritization is done. I put together a schedule for my work and home responsibilities every month. For my job, I schedule back-to-back meetings on set days and times and block out periods to execute my work, communicating these in advance to my manager, team and stakeholders. At home, we plan meals a week in advance, and we figure out who will take her to her many activities.
I have had managers who have understood the challenges we faced as a family. When I returned from Carer's Leave, my managers told me to take the time I needed and offered an even more flexible work week. In a time when so many people are struggling, helping our family stay happy and healthy has been a huge help.
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