Mrs Baba me is having a rant...

I was a bit appalled to read this article that the right of parents to request flexible working patterns is to be scrapped, and this will apply to all firms and not just smaller firms. One of the main reasons Baba Me was born was because Mrs Baba Me has just had her fourth child and wanted to get out of the corporate macho regime, where long long late hours = good at job. Really, even in 2011 some people still think this.

As a parent, I know how really difficult it is to do the corporate hours and raise kids, and this is made more difficult by short sighted views. I remember the dread of a sick child and what this meant. For years ALL of my holiday was used just to take days off to mind sick kids - Ms Tween Baba Me was particularly fond of catching everything going around! My own shifts work entirely around the children, I go to work after the school run, my husband leaves work early to do the afternoon school run. From the hours of 5-8 I am busy doing the homework and bed routines. And then from 8 onwards most nights I do the 'ghost shift'. A lot of the people I deal with are often suprised to get a response at midnight, but hey it works for me and my family.

I run a business and one of our major HR policies is everyone can work flexi hours if they want. Has it effected my business? NO, quite the opposite. I think my business is enhanced by our flexible working parents.  This policy has enabled me to have some brilliant staff, who really know their stuff, and are passionate and happy to work at Baba Me. It also means that most of them KNOW what they are talking about when it comes to babies and children - and really - what better qualification!

I have moms that start at 8,9,10,12 & 2! some that finish at 12, 1, 2, 3,4, 5, 6.... and a couple who often do the ghost shift with me - there are many ships that pass in the night at Baba Me - and honestly I think we are a more rounded team for it. Yes it means we have to change things around a bit. Someone told me it was strange the other day... really why? Why do we have to have a 9-5 culture? Why not have a business culture that works for families?


We took the view that it is better to have staff concentrating on their job rather than worrying about rushing for the minder, the school run etc. My staff know that if a child is sick, if there is a sports day etc they can work around it. They can make up time another day. Its not even an issue to ask. Being there for your children is just so important, I could not ask my staff not to.
 
Yes there are some logistical issues, sometimes too many kids are sick on the same day like last Friday {SORRY to the couple who came into the shop on Friday looking for a bugaboo demo and got the lovely Andreanne..... who would not know a bugaboo from a maxi cosi.... but CAN talk nappies until the cows come home. The poor couple ended up showing Andreanne how to take the brakes off :-)  and got at least 20 minutes of nappy demos that they just did not want!}.
 
Some might argue that in the baby industry it would work but not elsewhere. Maybe? But my financial controller could work in any industry. My marketing manager could work in any industry. As could my graphic designer, my web designer, my book keeper, my office manager, my customer care team, my warehouse team... We have just made flexi working work for us, and we have greatly benefitted because of it. To me, all those businesses who are losing highly trained parents because of their attitudes and lack of flexibility are losing out, no matter what industry they are in.
 
But hey, thats just me and my thoughts. Rant over. :-)