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Packaging Horizons
Striking a Balance
Starting a family or relocating your family can have serious ramifications on both your personal and professional life. The key to successfully adjusting to these changes is to network, seek support and be prepared.
By Anne Baye Ericksen
Change is the only constant in life. Indeed, change happens every day. Change can be both positive and negative, welcomed and feared, small and large. But for the most part, change can be anticipated. The key to making change work for you is to plan for it as much as possible and to be armed with as much information as possible when it comes time to make decisions.
This is especially true when dealing with changes in your professional life. Usually there is notice about impending change and time enough to make the necessary adjustments so the transition can be smooth and positive.
Even then, however, few changes can have such a substantial impact on your life, professionally as well as personally, as starting a family and relocating. While it's true that you can plan for both, try to cover all the details, and prepare for the day, it's nearly impossible to completely know how each will affect your career. That's where networking with others who have already gone through these changes can be invaluable.
Talk to other women in the organization who have just had a child or who have recently relocated and ask about their experience, advises Marcia Brumit Kropf, vice president of research and advisory services, Catalyst. This New York City-based non-profit research and advisory organization works with business and the professions to enable women to achieve their full professional potential and to help employers capitalize on womens' talents and abilities.
Educate yourself first
One of the most life-changing decisions a woman can make is to start a family. Not only will you live through the joys and tribulations of raising children, but your career most likely will undergo changes as well. Until the time you decide to start a family, you've probably devoted much of your energy to developing your career. Undoubtedly, you set goals for your career. These plans, however, may change when you add children and a family to the picture.
Once you decide having a child is an avenue you wish to pursue, there are several immediate steps you can take to position yourself to get the best of both worlds. First, talk with your company's human resources department to find out legally exactly what type of leave and compensation to which you are entitled.
In 1993, President Clinton signed into law the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). This legislation grants workers up to 12 weeks off for the birth or adoption of a newborn, along with other circumstances such as caring for an ill child or parent. This law, however, isn't as clear cut as that. There are many stipulations that you should know before you decide to have children. For example, the law does not apply to companies with fewer than 50 employees, part-time workers or anyone who has been on the job for less than 12 months. Also, these 12 weeks are unpaid, although some states offer disability pay for a portion of the time, usually six weeks.
While FMLA does state that women who leave to have or adopt a baby are entitled to return to their jobs or at least one of equal stature, pay, benefits and seniority, stipulations do exist. If your particular position is slated to be downsized or eliminated, then the employer is only required to hold a different position for you. And lastly, the FMLA position guarantee does not apply to professionals who earn salaries that are in the top 10 percent of the company.
Considering all the conditions that must be met for FMLA coverage, it isn't surprising that 95 percent of private businesses do not have to comply with the federal law. Even more revealing is the fact that the Department of Labor reports that 58 percent of maternity leave-related complaints about employers are a result of companies not fully complying with FMLA reinstatement provisions.
There is good news, however. Many companies see the value of offering employees generous maternity leave packages. Sometimes organizations will group maternity with short-term disability leave. But even here, women should know that under The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, employers with more than 15 employees are mandated to guarantee job security and paid leave to pregnant women if and to the same extent they guarantee it for other workers on short-term disability for other medical conditions.
Knowing where your company stands on these issues will help you determine what you can reasonably expect from your employer and to plan accordingly. With smaller organizations, you are going to have to do your own legwork, says Kropf. Be proactive and articulate about your career goals. Be explicit with your boss about your long-term intentions.
Coming back
Many professional women choose not to make maternity leave a permanent position. How and when you return to the workplace, however, is sometimes open for compromise. Corporations today realize their employees have lives outside the office and sometimes the two mesh. If companies can offer flexibility at these times, then employees will be more open (and productive), according to some studies, to returning to work altogether.
Some firms have institutionalized programs such as flex time, job sharing and three-quarter time to allow employees more time to find a balance between work and home. Many professionals take advantage of these programs to ease their transition back.
Lori Gettelfinger is one such packaging professional. After the birth of her second child, she didn't want to travel as much, so she made arrangements with her supervisor to decrease that portion of her job. Then after the birth of her third child, Gettelfinger wanted to cut back further not only on the travel but also on the hours she worked.
"I wanted to come back part time, but wondered if I could considering I had recently entered a new position that required travel," says the Nashville, TN-based DuPont market segment leader. "I again worked with my boss to restructure the position. This took away the travel, but I still get the projects." Currently, she works part time from her home as a telecommuter as a result of a relocation for her husband's career.
Whether you work full time or part time, flex schedule or regular hours, managing your time between work and family is the real challenge for balancing family and a career. While many positions, whether managerial, technical or otherwise, require a person to be organized, this skill takes on new importance after you have a family.
Demands are placed on you from many angles. "This is where being a working mom calls on your creativity, flexibility and resourcefulness," says Gettelfinger. "I think the secret to success is effectively figuring out how to manage your time and building networks inside the company and with other parents," she adds.
It's this time-management challenge that many new mothers find the most overwhelming at first. Not only are they adjusting to all that is involved in being a mom for the first time, but they're also trying to return to a professional existence they had before the baby. That alone can be a complex dichotomy at work. Now add to that the amount of work that may be waiting upon your return. Balancing work and a new family may be the most challenging assignment you've had to date.
"While I am grateful that my job was held for me, I easily could spend 12 or 14 hours a day at work," comments Marilyn Baker, a consultant in the package-development department of The Coca Cola Co., based in Atlanta. "If you're used to putting in a 10-hour day at the office, then that can be difficult on you and your family." As a mother of a four year old and a newborn, Baker knows that finding time for herself and time to be with her husband sometimes can be hard. "It's a balancing act," she says.
Making it work
Managing a career and a family, however, is not impossible, as evident by the multitudes of women doing both. And it doesn't require a SuperMom, either. Baker and Gettelfinger suggest you rely on your support networks and to prepare as best you can.
"Ask yourself all the questions," says Baker. A few of these include: Can you handle the changes in your career, even if temporary? Can you handle the child-care issue, especially if you have to travel and arrange for nighttime care, and the costs associated with it? Will your spouse be supportive? Then, prepare for the answers, which may include slowing your career or switching paths for the time being. "When people have been focused on their careers for a while, it might be difficult for them or they might be afraid to let go of some of the responsibility," says Gettelfinger. "But, if you're willing to let go, there is a better opportunity to strike a balance between family and work."
Anne Baye Ericksen is a freelance writer and a contributing editor to Packaging Horizons Magazine. She resides in Simi Valley, CA.
While FMLA does state that women who leave to have or adopt a baby are entitled to return to their jobs or at least one of equal stature, pay, benefits and seniority, stipulations do exist..
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