Mother’s Day is the perfect time to reflect on your policies and benefits to evaluate how well you’re doing at accommodating the parents on your team. Millennials currently account for 25% of all parents but this number is expected to jump to 80% over the next decade. Learn more about how to start planning so you can attract and retain top talent!
Being a parent is a full-time, unpaid job so when one or both parents have paying jobs outside of the home, things can be tricky to manage. At lotus823, we pride ourselves on our people-first culture. This means providing the best possible benefits and flexibility to our team in order to help them live a truly balanced lifestyle.
How do we know our benefits and policies work? In a time of recruiting and retention turmoil, lotus823 has been able to maintain a 100% employee retention rate since August of 2021. Additionally, we have had a 100% parent retention rate since July of 2019.
If numbers aren’t your thing, we also asked our team about what it’s like being a working parent at lotus823:
“As a first-time mom-to-be, lotus823 has helped me tremendously to feel supported as I take on this new life change. Becoming a mom is new, exciting, but also sometimes scary, and lotus823 has been extremely supportive in helping me prepare for motherhood while still excelling in my career.”
– Amanda Whited, Senior Account Executive, 2 years with lotus
“I cannot stress enough how important work-life balance is when being a mom to two young girls. lotus823’s culture really contributes to my success both personally as a mother and at work, because one of the core values, balance, is really lived out here. It gives me the freedom needed to take care of my family when and how I need to, which really allows me to bring my full self to my work on a daily basis.”
– Sam Lins, Director of PR & Marketing, 6 years with lotus
“As a busy mom of three amazing teenagers, people constantly ask how I have the time to keep up with all of the kids’ activities and schedules and work full time. Honestly, with only 24 hours in a day, I have no idea! But I can say that I’m beyond grateful for the flexible schedule that lotus823, not only offers, but encourages their staff to take advantage of! Our leadership team understands and appreciates the importance of a true work-life balance, family, and non-work responsibilities, and it’s the best feeling to know that if my child needs me for something in the middle of the day, it’s ok for me to take some time to be there for them. Not every company can say that!”
– Jen Ferency, Senior Business Development Executive, 2.5 years with lotus
“As a first time mom and to twins, work/life balance is going to be crazy, but I know my entire lotus team has my back. It gives me so much comfort and confidence to be a part of such a team that cares so deeply for the well being and happiness of not only its employees but their families as well. Thanks to lotus, my girls will get to see first hand what it’s like to work hard and be a part of a dream team.”
– Cassie Bouvier, Assistant Account Executive, 2.5 years with lotus
“As a mother of three boys and a working mom myself, from the beginning of starting lotus823, I wanted to build a company culture that supports working moms. It is a valuable way to attract and retain talented employees who are also mothers. Offering things like flexible work hours, remote work and an extended maternity leave including returning part-time at full-time salary, can take pressure off of moms and allows them to balance their work and family responsibilities. It’s one of the things I’m most proud of.”
– Allison Hernandez, Owner/Managing Partner of lotus823
So what are these magical benefits that keep mom and dad onboard? There’s no fairy dust or unicorns here. Our secret – we treat our people like people. This allows them to show up as their best selves day in and day out.
If you’re looking to create a better working environment for parents on your team, work to implement some of the below policies.
Flexwork Schedules & Remote Work
At lotus823, our team is free to make their own schedule. If they have something to do in the middle of the day, they simply mark their calendars. They show up to client meetings and get their work done on their own time. It’s a dream policy for parents who are balancing appointments, schooling, extracurricular activities, on top of household management. They are able to plan their days and schedules as they see fit.
We implemented this policy when we went fully remote in 2020 as we realized some of the challenges with working from home. It has been a huge success and our top benefit promoting work life harmony.
Unlimited PTO & Summer Fridays
We offer unlimited paid time off, an annual vacation bonus, and Summer Fridays. It’s a simple theory – humans need breaks to do their best work. We’ve proven it so we reward it and encourage it. Spending time with their growing children is a top priority to parents so it’s a top priority to lotus.
Our unlimited PTO policy has been in place since 2015. Our Summer Fridays policy has been in place since we launched lotus but it has evolved over the years. Currently, our team members enjoy every other Friday off between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Parental Leave
lotus823 offers 12 weeks of parental leave for both mothers and fathers during the birth or adoption of a child. Our more unique benefits kick in upon returning to work. During a parent’s first 8 weeks back, they will work a part-time schedule with a full-time salary. Beyond that, they can work part-time for up to 6 months.
Holidays & Holiday Week
Holidays are for families but they can also be stressful. We understand the mental load of the holidays and we make accommodations so our team has the time they need to celebrate and spend time with their loved ones. We offer 11 paid holidays, 6 holiday half-days as well as Holiday Week from December 26-January 1. During Holiday Week, lotus823 is closed but monitors for urgent client needs.
Stipends
In addition to time flexibility, we offer financial incentives to our team. As a remote company, we offer an annual home office budget to each team member with a monthly utility stipend for internet and cell phone usage. We also offer a monthly wellness stipend for gym memberships or health and fitness apps. These help ease the necessary expenses of working from home and taking care of yourself.
Our people are our number one priority. We’re always listening to their feedback and doing everything we can to make work easier. This is especially important for parents. Not sure where to start? Ask the parents on your team what they need.
To the working mom, we see you and hope you’re doing great! Use this as your sign to speak up about what’s not working for you. Always remember, you’re a superhero! Happy Mother’s Day!