Learning Motherhood

The new 2024 Motherly® report is out about the State of Motherhood. Among the wealth of data gathered from nearly 6000 Gen Z and Millennial mothers, one statistic stood out. *Two-thirds of moms considered leaving the workforce last year due to the stress and cost of childcare, highest among Gen Z at 82%. Based on previous reports, these numbers are at an all-time high. This stress is exactly why it is so crucial to have support for employees navigating caregiving responsibilities. https://lnkd.in/g_7zz9zY

I'm grateful to have the opportunity to share my insights on parenting and career with Fortune today. To be featured with these incredible women is an honor. Paula Faris, Netta Jenkins CEO, Aerodei, Alexis Rivera Scott, Paula Costa, Tara Ryan, CPC, Phylicia Pough, MBA, Katie Taylor, CCLS, Maggie Olson, Amira Irfan, Nageen Riffat, April Little Spoiler Alert: I don't believe that balancing work and family exists. I elaborate on why in the article. https://lnkd.in/gk9XN8Kj

One of the most common reasons our clients come to us is the struggle they have to understand what and, if any, access they have to parental leave (also known as maternity and paternity leave). It's a frustrating spot for clients, and even when they feel they have access to more leave than what their organization has shared, they struggle deeply with feeling good about taking that leave. Education on the accessibility of leave is crucial to building awareness of the importance of creating caregiving support in this country. I'm sharing this article to empower others to start the conversation in their networks on the importance of growing their knowledge of disability and bonding leaves in the US. In short, our current caregiving leave is ranked last among all of the developed countries in the world. We have a lot of work to do and we need our private sector organizations to step up while efforts at the state and federal level continue to work towards implementing programs. #hr #benefits #caregiving #workingmom #workingdad #workingparents

Statistical share for this Monday to share with senior teams. According to a Zippia report, nearly 50% of working parents report turning down a job offer because it wouldn't work for their families. As benefits become a bigger and bigger differentiator for employees, the companies that step up will rise up.  ~ Workplace wellness for parents is employers' Biggest Opportunity in 2024, EBN Caregiving benefits only gain companies the opportunity to retain employees and increase revenue. During this benefits season outsourcing these benefits should be top of mind in terms of goals for 2024, this is a great area to hit your targets with caregiving support.

As I delve into the research shared in 2024 on career parents worldwide, I've stumbled upon a significant article that sheds light on the barriers faced by career parents in England. It's not just a problem in the US but also a prevalent issue in England, as this article clearly illustrates. The lack of tools for managers and caregivers is a challenge that organizations on both sides of the Atlantic need to address to retain parents. The importance of investing in training for managers to support their caregiver employees cannot be overstated. Relying solely on personal experiences is not enough. It's time for organizations to take proactive steps by training all managers to ensure proper communication and support are given to caregivers in the workplace. "Our research with people leads specifically highlighted that while the government is responsible for some of the barriers that stand in the way of change – such as childcare and its respective costs – many barriers are entirely within organizations’ control. People leads reported that complex policies, inflexible working models, ill-equipped line managers, outdated mindsets, and gender stereotypes are all obstacles." - Sachdev, Helen. "What can HR do in 2024 to retain working parents?" PM People Management. https://lnkd.in/gzYjwZv6 -------- Hi, I'm Kimberly Didrikson—founder of Learning Motherhood, a benefits and training consulting agency built to support caregivers in the workplace. If you want to bring our service to your organization, please DM me. *If you want to see more posts from me to stay informed, please follow my profile and like or comment on the post. I would love to have you apart of our community.

Last week, I shared my personal leadership journey with a Fortune 100 company, a journey that led me to leave a job I was passionate about. However, this experience became the catalyst for the creation of Learning Motherhood, a platform dedicated to training and providing benefits for caregivers. Support is essential at the intersection of parenting within an organization. Without it, organizations stand to lose valuable talent, as I experienced firsthand. At Learning Motherhood, our primary mission is to help employers recognize the specific benefits of nurturing parent leaders, such as increasing employee loyalty, improved problem-solving skills, and a more diverse perspective on team dynamics. The compelling data we have gathered underscores the potential loss organizations may face without investment in these areas. We approach this issue from multiple perspectives but always emphasize the importance of building a strong case through potential revenue gains and losses if an organization does not adopt benefits for caregivers. Examples of those numbers are shared in this article. #benefits #caregiving #humanresources #workingmom

Part Two.. Yesterday, I shared a post about all the reasons a company was able to retain me within their organization for 15 years. Today, I'm sharing why, after 15 years, the benefits provided were not enough, and I had to leave. I was on parental leave with my second child (picture of me below with our two boys) when I received a call from a manager informing me that there had been some changes and part of our department had been sold to another organization. They were excited to share with me that I was going to continue with the existing company I had been working for, but my territory had changed. The territory had changed from supporting employees who were in a drivable region of where I was located to a geographic area that included a large part of the entire West of the US. The new territory required me to travel four days a week, with one day in my home office for the first year upon returning from parental leave. With two young kids, two years old and a newborn, my dream job I loved before parental leave felt like an impossible position to have. Sure, we could line up the appropriate level of childcare, but I wanted to be home more than one day a week to tuck my children into bed or pick them up at daycare. I would have made it work if it was traveling twice a month, but four days out of five every week for an entire year was not feasible. I remember calling my new supervisor after considering the proposed job change, indicating that I could not meet the travel expectations, and asking for other options. The option I was provided was a step down from my position and a 15% pay cut. Hearing this felt like a punch in the gut. All the years I had worked for the organization and the long hours I had put in to achieve professional and financial goals for the company and myself, to be now told, sorry, we can't afford to pay you at the same level if you take a step down was difficult to hear. Not to mention having to step down from leadership. I remember telling myself I didn't want to leave, but the options provided were not okay. From that point on, my life changed. As hard as it was, I left the company I loved working for, advocated for a severance package, and started Learning Motherhood. There is so much more to say about this experience, but parents around this country are experiencing a version of what happened to me way too often, especially mothers. As someone who was measured on the retention numbers of my employees, the excuse companies give on why an employee left related to caregiving is not okay. You have to dig deeper as an organization. Many employees like me did not want to leave but were forced out because of an impossible ask. Let's take a moment to imagine this differently. What if my manager had training on how to support caregiving employees? What if I had benefits to support my new role as a caregiver? Those were the questions I asked myself and why I built Learning Motherhood. #workingmom #womenleadership

Why are benefits important, and how do benefits impact retaining employees? Here is my personal story to give context outside of the numbers. When I started my career at 21, benefits were a significant factor in what company I wanted to work for when selecting my first job. Here's how benefits played a massive role in a company retaining me for 15 years despite many life changes. At 21, I had just graduated from business school. My focus was on working for a stable organization that was doing well financially and experiencing growth. I wanted to work for a company with solid benefits that included opportunities for stock investments, company stock option matching programs, 401K, tuition reimbursement, PTO, and health benefits. The company I worked for had all of these benefits, which were the exact reason I was able to buy a home in one of the priciest areas of California at twenty-nine. By twenty-nine, I had worked with the company for eight years and started to build my career in leadership. Personally, growing my own family was becoming top of mind, and so was understanding what caregiving benefits I had access to. Some of the benefits included IVF reimbursement, health benefits for dependents, short-term and long-term disability, and the ability to carry over vacation time to the following year. These benefits provided by my organization and the state of California's parental leave laws are why I stayed with my company for seven more years. During that time, I got married and had two children. Career-wise, I had moved into my dream job in leadership. The position was exactly in the department I had wanted to be in, supporting a team I loved and working with a peer group that I enjoyed. I was a woman in leadership with two small kids, one who had just turned two and a newborn. What a win for an organization to take a 21-year-old and support her career in leadership, all while she began growing her family. These are all the great benefits that help me professionally and personally. So why did I leave? Can you guess? Feel free to share below and stay tuned for my next post for the answer to this question. Pictured below is me in my early twenties at the start of my career, utilizing my PTO for a fun vacation in Europe. #benefits #humanresources #careerparent

As part of my daily reads today, I came across this article below. We often do not address the elephant in the room, but this article really brings it to light. In my work, we discuss the different dynamics between employees with employers because it's important to keep the company culture in mind when planning what benefits will support the entire organization. You can not ignore this component. I'm curious about what others have seen in their career and if there were tensions between caregivers and non-caregivers at work. I have experience with both at a leadership level, which is why our consulting services and programs have the ability to really make a difference in organizations. #benefits #workingmom #workingdad https://lnkd.in/gvKSJ-jJ

Join us for a LinkedIn LIVE! Navigating the Return: Empowering Mothers in the Workplace A dynamic LinkedIn LIVE conversation for professional women who are planning on returning back to work after entering motherhood. Industry expert Kimberly Didrikson will share invaluable insights on balancing career aspirations with parental responsibilities, offering practical strategies for overcoming barriers and fostering a supportive work environment. Key takeaways include the importance of effective communication with employers, the need for flexible work arrangements, and the cultivation of a strong support network. Attendees will gain a heightened sense of empowerment, armed with actionable advice to successfully navigate the path between career and motherhood.