Back to School

"It's the most wonderful time of the year..."

As the kids go back to in-person school in the weeks around Labor Day, people in the professional world have the combination of the “who-is-going-to-pick-our-kid-up-at-3pm?” hassle to work out with partners and other caregivers, and the reality is that, for many working parents, these are the first days in a year-and-a-half that THE KIDS ARE FINALLY OUT OF THE HOUSE! And whether working from the office, from home, or in a hybrid model, these parents may, for the first time in a long time, no longer be whole-life multitasking while working.

I recommend that you don’t slam them with a huge backlog of items immediately. Give your returning parents time to adjust. Communicate with them about their needs—many employers are finding that, if they are too rigid in their policies, working parents are simply giving notice and going to a company that WILL give them the flexibility of hours or remote vs. in-office work.

Most people want to do a good job, and the employers who find ways to give them the balance of structure and freedom that allows them to do that will motivate and retain their top performers.

(Photo by Deleece Cook on Unsplash)