Navigating family responsibilities at work

I sponsor our Parents and Carers network at Wates and as a parent and a carer myself, this Sunday 15 May, the International Day of Families, is a date close to my heart. As a family-owned business, we know the importance of the relationships we hold with our loved ones. This is why one of the first policy changes as part of our Inclusion agenda was an enhancement of our Family Leave offerings. Two years on from their introduction, I am proud that we remained committed to these enhancements even as we faced into the pandemic. ?

Our Family Leave allows parents and carers to prioritise family when it matters most. Our offer includes parental leave provisions, carers’ leave and time available during the most difficult time, when we lose a loved one. More than 225 colleagues have used the various options since we launched them in May 2020. I’m sharing some stories here from colleagues as reminder that we’re all navigating family responsibilities at work and sharing what worked for some of us could help others.

Personal stories

Kevin Monger, a manager from our Construction Group, told us about when he had his first child before joining Wates, ?he was self-employed and could only afford to take one week off at the start of her life. He felt he had missed out on some important stages of her development.

“This time around I didn’t miss out on anything. I took two blocks of paternity leave but added some holiday to increase the time. These blocks were good for planning life activities. Although COVID restrictions were in place we tried our best and I feel it was beneficial”

?Deep Mahida, Client Relationship Director, at Wates Facilities Management, told us:

“Expecting your first child is exciting but also extremely daunting. Will I be a good parent? Will I be there to support my wife? Will I drop the ball and lose it? The list goes on as I’m sure all first-time parents have felt. To be able to go home and tell my wife ‘Guess what the company policy has changed, and I now get eight weeks’ was a blessing. I could see the weight lifting off her shoulders,”

Sarah Worrell, Head of our IT Portfolio got recognised as an essential carer for her father during COVID. She used the carers’ leave days to be with him. Sarah said

“It’s been brilliant. I got my dad out during summer. We had days out. It’s made such a difference”.

Wates is a finalist in the Working Families Best Practice Awards, celebrating employers whose stand-out cultures and working practices are leading the way in flexible and employee-friendly workplaces. We’re ?finalists in the ‘Best for Fathers’ and ‘Best for All Families’ categories.?