What do you feel should be the top priority for employers who want to support working mothers better?
I feel very fortunate that my company are really supportive and have been of my motherhood journey right from the start. I had two losses before being blessed with my daughter, having to have surgery as management for both, and my pregnancy with my daughter was riddled with anxiety as a result. My company were amazing at supporting me through this whole journey, from giving me the time and space I needed to recover and process the losses, to creating a safe space to be able to talk about my pregnancies, emotions and anxieties, and working with me to ensure I had a smooth and successful return to work following my maternity leave. For many, motherhood starts way before we actually have our children and we should feel that we can have an open conversation with our employers about this, without feeling it will negatively impact our career, progression opportunities or how we are ‘viewed’ in the workspace. I am fortunate to have had that support and I think this is something that employers should view as a top priority – creating a safe space for women and mothers both pre and post having a baby.
Flexibility is also key – having the ability to work four days and have an allowance of time for childcare needs, means that I can balance being a working mum and a present parent. I feel this has changed in recent years. My mum was a working mum in tech and due to work commitments she was unable to work part time and was always travelling, so was out early and back late and it was simply not possible for her, at that time, to have that flexibility. I feel there has been a really positive change in this in recent times, and one that should continue to be a top priority for employers.
Finally, career progression plans for working mums. Personally, I want to show my daughter that you can have a successful career and be a present, engaged mum who is there for all the important milestones and more. I think it is key for working mums to feel that their choice to become a mum does not come at a sacrifice to their career or progression and I think this is another key factor that employers should make a priority for mums – supported, achievable and ambitious opportunities to be successful, with clear progression plans that work in line with their role as a working mum.
Any final words of advice for other mothers in the Tech Industry?
Celebrating the small wins is so important. We can often get so caught up in the end product/milestones, both as mums or at work, and it is so important to remember that every step is so important and to celebrate it. We put some much of ourselves into our everyday, both as mums and employees and its important to recognise the successes of each day and focus on what we have achieved, not beat ourselves up about what we feel we could have done better. By turning up, giving our best (whatever our best is for that day) and feeling proud of how we are managing the balance between work and motherhood, we are winning!