The Power of Flexibility: how our parents & carers strive to achieve work/life balance
People · 22 May 2023Alex Carril
We all know achieving a healthy balance between work and family can be challenging for working parents and carers. However, learning from the experience of others and taking advantage of company benefits can help. So, we talked to some Dream Team employees, who participate in our Parents & Carers guild, who were willing to share their stories.
How does Revolut’s flexible remote work help you manage your responsibilities as a parent?
Mia Raposo, Social Media Support Specialist: My job allows me to work around my 5-year-old’s schedule – from waking up, getting her ready and taking her to school, to doing my workout, having a little personal time and picking her up from school. Though it’s not always easy to manage all these things, I’m lucky my partner shares responsibilities with me. We live separately, so the flexibility I have allows us to co-parent as efficiently as possible.
Tom Hambrett, Partner, ExCo Member & Group General Counsel: As an expat, here in London, with no family or support networks, it was really important to be able to work from home and structure my days around family commitments. This is something I focussed on after returning from parental leave when my (soon to be 1 year old) son was born. The flexibility I have at Revolut makes it easier to be present, spend quality time with my wife and son, and also have time for myself, like going to the gym. For me, it’s about finding a structure or routine that works for you and your family.
Across the Legal and Global Affairs departments, we've welcomed 7 babies over the past 12 months (with more exciting arrivals expected later this year!). And our team culture has supported the challenges of balancing work and family life, while empowering parents to meaningfully contribute in a high performing company.
What benefits have you taken advantage of during your time at Revolut?
Deborah Cattani Gerson, Brazilian Portuguese Language Owner: Besides the private health insurance offered, I started taking advantage of the company’s breastfeeding policy almost as soon as I started working at Revolut, nearly 6 months ago. The policy allows me to take an extra hour during the work day to attend to my 10-month-old son. As I work from home, I use my Slack status to announce my availability, so I can step away whenever I need to.
How do you find a balance between work and life at home?
Tamás Léder, Head of Revolut Hungary: A few times a month, I stay at home to care for my 1-year-old-son while my wife attends her mandatory university classes in person. This flexibility allows me to find balance, and support my partner while she finds her balance as well. My colleagues see my son on my lap during meetings and they share nothing but support. As for myself, I have a border collie named Nova that I take out twice a day for walks. That time alone with her allows me to be outside, disconnect for a bit, and feel recharged to go back to being a dad or finish work for the day.
What challenges do you face as a parent? And what would you like people to know about those challenges?
Chris Richter, German Language Owner: I’m a single mom to a six-year-old boy. Time management is of utmost importance. I would like people to be more aware of parents and understand that family and care (this includes not only parents, but also people caring for dependents other than kids) have an impact on many things.
What are some ways you disconnect from work when you’re at home?
David Tirado, VP of Global Business: For me, morning school rides with my 6 and 8-year-old kids are the best and most de-stressing moment of the day, which I think many parents would agree with. I love reading stories and spending around 30 minutes with my kids to put them to bed. As for myself, I enjoy playing football on Saturday mornings and spending time with my partner on Sundays, even if it’s just over a cup of coffee. I also utilise my paid time off to schedule family holidays, so we can all disconnect for a while.
Individuals sometimes find it difficult to decide to become parents and take parental leave because they’re worried about career growth. What’s been your experience?
Margaux Steisel, Lead Legal Counsel, Employment: For me, I was nervous that anyone would assume that when you become a mother, you will not be invested in your career or want to progress (assuming that your entire life focus is on your child).
However, my manager, team, and department were fantastic welcoming me back and immediately giving me the same opportunity for growth and development as before. I was able to work hard, and the way I wanted — for instance always leaving at 5 when it is my turn to pick up my child and logging on after. I was trusted with additional responsibilities, supported, encouraged and ultimately promoted 5 months after my return to work.
Any other advice you can offer to other parents and carers?
Tom: Don't be too hard on yourself and don't panic or feel like you’re a failure when trying to figure out what works for you and your partner when managing work and family life. It’s constantly evolving and requires constant communication with your team and family.
Chris: Speak up and raise awareness of your situation. Get your priorities aligned, cut out anything that adds extra work or stress for you, make sure you get time to yourself regularly and do not apologise for it, ever.
Tamás: Try to find those moments for yourself, even if they’re small, because they make a difference.
Margaux: Try to enjoy both work and parent life, it goes way too fast, and know it’s impossible to be 100% everywhere, every day and that is OK.
Deborah: Don't be afraid to ask for help, people might surprise you.
To all the hard-working parents and carers out there – you’ve got this! Balancing work and family is challenging, so remember to take time for your loved ones and yourself. We hope the insight shared by these Revoluters empowers you on your journey of achieving a fulfilling career and a happy home life!