Flexibility, organisation, understanding - these are often the first buzzwords that come to mind when people think of work-life balance. On the occasion of Working Parents' Day, which is celebrated annually on 16 September, we take a look behind the scenes at GOJO®. What role does GOJO® play as an employer for working mothers and fathers and what does the situation really look like for working parents? We talked to one of our employees about this topic.
Behind the scenes at GOJO®
Carolin Chlipek is 39 years young and works in our accounting department. She also supports project management in day-to-day business and completes the sales team as Assistance Key Account. Multiple roles and flexibility are not only her hobbyhorse in a professional context, but as a single mother of a 13-year-old daughter, they are also one of her daily tasks in her private life.
Carolin, how do you manage to reconcile work commitments and your role as a parent? Have you developed certain strategies for yourself?
To be honest, organisation is simply everything for me. Balancing family and work requires very good time management and a lot of advance planning. For example, we often plan the whole week in advance. Which appointments are coming up, where do we have to go and when, on which day do we go shopping, etc.? For me, planning ahead gives me more peace in the daily challenge of family and work. Of course, not everything always goes according to plan, but having one at the start of the week feels good.
Do you feel supported by GOJO® as an employer to successfully manage the challenges of childcare and everyday working life?
Reconciling family and career is an essential part of our company. We have a progressive part-time model and enjoy a lot of freedom in our working hours, including working in a home office. Without such a flexible working time model, the challenge would be much greater, especially when the child is home sick. Of course, this does not apply to all positions in the company, but where it is possible, a lot of flexibility is granted. Moreover, our boss is a family man himself and is therefore aware of the special role of parents as employees. Only when family and work are in harmony is it possible to have motivated and productive employees with families. You can feel this attitude very clearly at GOJO®, which is great.
How do you think the Corona pandemic has affected the world of work and work-life balance?
I think the Corona pandemic was a learning period for both sides, employee and employer. This special and challenging time has shown that mutual trust can be there for a longer period of time, even in a home office, and the company does not have to suffer. Employees work independently and in a way that suits their daily routine. This creates motivation, satisfaction and does not lower productivity per se, as many managers may have feared at the beginning. Above all, it gives many employees the opportunity to participate more actively in family life and to react more flexibly to the challenge of family & work. In addition, increased mobile working can be a positive cost factor for the company. Sounds like a clear win-win situation, doesn't it?
What would you wish for the future of working parents, or the compatibility of work and family?
I would like employees with children to be perceived by companies and supervisors not as a burden but as an asset. Workers with children, especially part-time workers, often do their work in the same amount of time as full-time workers. And yet there are hardly any part-time jobs that enable parents to better combine work and family. There is still a lot of development potential here, which will hopefully be seen and used in the future.
