Renata Wiles

I think that even if we look at like societally the structure of the work day and then the structure of the school day, those two things do not align.

So our whole kind of society is based on the idea that like effectively one parent is going to be home and able to do the nine to three school hours and the pickup and the drop off.

And we just don't live like that anymore.

Like both parents work, both parents normally have jobs that require them to be there before nine and after three.

And so I don't think that workplaces are, I don't think any workplace really truly offers flexible working.

Happy to be called out if somebody knows a workplace that is truly 100% flexible.

You know, but... Let's shout them out.

Let's give them their props.

But yeah, I don't know of many.

No.

And I think that it's really hard for parents and you go through different phases, you know, when you have babies and they're in daycare and daycare hours are obviously, you know, they can be a lot longer.

And then when they start school, you go through this whole thing again, because then it's like before school care is needed or after school care is needed or...

If you're lucky, you might have grandparent help or neighbors that can share drop-offs and pickups, but it's such a juggle.

And I think that companies want to promote flexible working.

They want to sound like they're good places for moms to work.

I don't think they are.

I think that they're flexible for dads.

You know, if a dad needs to attend like a school assembly, you know, once a quarter or something.

But for parents that are really needing that flexibility of like the kids are homesick and school hours and things like that.

So I think, yeah, I really don't think that workplaces do offer any kind of flexibility or benefits for working parents.