I keep in mind being in my early 30s and looking out across the digital consultancy the place I labored. I noticed one girl on the board and no moms in shopper going through, artistic or manufacturing roles. I took a extremely onerous have a look at my life in London and shortly determined it was fairly inconceivable to have a household and do the form of job I did, not to mention a profession on this trade.
I used to be not alone; the stats are clear – the Careers After Infants report discovered that 85% of ladies go away the full-time workforce inside three years of getting their first little one, and 19% go away work fully as a result of companies aren’t providing the pliability wanted. This 100% resonates with me however my story is barely totally different…
I didn’t go away the trade. I made work work for me. Properly ‘us’, as a result of this wasn’t simply all about me, it was my husband, Stuart, too.
I began Trendy with Stuart once we had two kids beneath the age of three. Our work sample wasn’t the usual nine-to-five. I used to be working to nursery to do breast feeds in between conferences and Stuart was working with me half time so I might deal with supporting shoppers. Evenings have been damaged up by bathtub and bedtime, adopted by catching up on extra work as soon as the youngsters had (lastly!) gone to sleep. Like many households, it was loopy. However we did it.
Could 2023: Stuart, Frasey, Nicola and Charlie
On the time, it made me suppose that there have been so many ladies like me: good at their jobs, eager to excel however struggling to search out one thing that works round them and their households.
I vowed to make sure that as we grew Trendy, we made it a household pleasant organisation and gave moms the chance to come back again to work with flexibility and consideration for household life. And we apply the identical rules to dads too.
So, I used to be delighted once I found MotherBoard, the brainchild of Sophie Creese. Based mostly regionally in Bristol, I discovered MotherBoard via the B Corp community (for which we’re additionally licensed in) and shortly discovered alignment with guiding rules at Trendy.
MotherBoard was based in 2021 to drive optimistic, actual change for mums working within the UK tech sector and works with organisations to teach, problem and revolutionise the way in which firms assist moms at work.
In April 2023, we signed the MotherBoard constitution to commit to creating actual change at Trendy. I’d wish to suppose we’re already doing okay, however there’s at all times room for enchancment and in order we proceed to work on B Corp commitments, MotherBoard shall be a key a part of the technique.
Over the approaching months and years, we’ll share what we’re doing to assist drive change round gender equality and inclusivity inside the know-how sector.
In case you’re inquisitive about studying extra, drop me a message on LinkedIn, or take a more in-depth have a look at MotherBoard right here.
