The New Box #2
The Evolution of the Employee | Boomers Move in with their Kids | Work/Life by AI
Hi, I’m Kate White and this is the 2nd edition of The New Box. This writeup is meant to document and spark ideas surrounding the concept of a better work-life “normal” specifically for parents and the employers who determine their benefits packages. If you’re enjoying it and know someone who’d like this sort of thing in their inbox, they can subscribe here.
Friiiends! 👋
If you don’t mind, I’m gonna get wordy with a story for a sec… if you’re in a hurry, skip down to the insights zone for the juice.
I chatted recently with a mid-20something who’s been married for a few years, is wrapping up a Masters degree and is now considering starting a family.
She’s just about to dive into her career and yet she know she wants to be present to raise her babies when the time comes.
She asked me for advice on what she should prioritize right now in her baby-making prime: career or starting a family?
“Would I be able to have time with my babies if I’m working a 9-5?” she asked.
“Maybe I should at least get a solid year or two with an employer under my belt before getting pregnant? Or will I regret not having babies while I’m young and energetic?”
We went on to chat about how our moms never seemed to find “their thing” because they were expected to do all the kid + household stuff full-time, and how this scared us.
“I don’t want to lose myself in motherhood and forget who I am and what I enjoy,” she said. “I want to at least have something on the side to keep my mind engaged.”
I remember the angst of this exact 20-something moment so well. I shared my experience with her - how difficult it was to be simultaneously pushing hard (probably too hard) at work while learning to be a mom for the first time - and told her it really comes down to what she wants.
“And,” I told her, “whatever it is you decide you want, know that it 👏 is 👏 possible.”
I looked at her over Zoom with my most sincere, big-sister eyes on and continued, “Don’t think for a second that you can’t make your life what you want. You can have work you enjoy AND have time with your babies. There are so many ways to shape your life like you want it - you don’t have to choose just lane. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, girlfriend!”
[I’m pretty sure I then threw in a rant about how it’s nearly impossible to be “stagnant” as a parent because of all the self-reflecting you have to do to survive yourself, but that’s a tangent for another day…]
My heart is still aching from this conversation because I know there are tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of brilliant young women carrying this exact weight, believing career and family are diametrically opposed, believing that either the heart side (family) or the mind side (work) has to dominate as “winner” of their life.
What human could possibly choose to let either heart or mind dominate the bulk of their adult years?
This seems like a dramatic question. But the underlying, often unspoken expectations in the workplace to ignore your “heart side” make it feel true for most employees.
But y’know what? Young adults aren’t having it any more.
Millennial and Gen Z adults in the middle class have had a lifetime of observing parents who were largely forced to exist in either a lane of work or personal life dominance, and, they ask, to what end?
Tiredness. Crabbiness. Burnt out-ness.
COVID aside, I think we’re all coming to a place of, “Why the H have we endured this for so long?! There’s GOT to be a better, more enjoyable way to make this adulting thing work..”
New ideas and solutions to the pain points in this sector are bubbling up all over the place, especially in the entrepreneurial scene.
This is why I’m more excited than ever to be in this space, aspiring founder of Third Space and friend to other shakers and movers in this sector.
We’re dreaming up the future, figuring out what we want our lives to look like rather than what we think they have to look like.
There’s a new normal around the corner that’s going to be better for everyone.
Let’s figure this thing out, shall we? 💪
Consider This _ thoughts, ideas, resources that should be on your radar
The Evolution of the Employee
“If you look up the word "employee" in the dictionary you will actually find that synonyms for the word employee include: cog, servant, and slave. This is how we have thought about our workforce for decades, as expendable and replaceable resources. We need to change that.”
- Jacob Morgan
The World Remade by COVID-19: Planning scenarios for resilient leaders
“…leaders must take decisive action to ensure their organizations are resilient. We’ve outlined four COVID-19 scenarios for society and business that illustrate different ways we could emerge from the crisis—and what’s required to thrive in a world remade.”
- Deloitte
Americans without retirement savings are increasingly moving in with their millennial children.
“…many baby boomers watched their own parents enjoy an era of heartier pension plans and lower health care costs. Now, many Americans work hard all their lives but still don’t have enough savings to retire.”
- New York Times
Sheryl Sandberg: The coronavirus pandemic is creating a ‘double double shift’ for women.
“Consider the coronavirus-era schedule of a typical woman who works full time and has a partner and kids. She’s now spending 71 hours every week on housework and caregiving,… before she starts doing her actual full-time job.”
- Fortune
How to Build a Return-to-Work Program that Works [Webinar]
7 steps HR leaders and managers must take to build a successful re-onboarding program for parents returning to work from parental leave (including tips for how to do this in a remote environment!)
- WRK/360
Ones to Watch _ startups on the rise
Maxwell App
“Maxwell takes care of the small stressors in your employees’ lives that translate to a big stressor when added up.”
“Work/Life management powered by AI” - ?!
Every over-achiever I know would give a resounding YAASSS.
Question for you…
Seriously, I wanna hear what you think!
YES / NO: Are you worried about how to handle childcare this summer?
Love❤️Note _ random things to warm your ever-lovin’ heart
6-Month-Old Baby Recovering From Open-Heart Surgery Beats Coronavirus
“Erin has beaten the virus. It hit her hard with a few ups and downs but we wanted people to know coronavirus doesn’t have to be a death sentence for people with pre-existing conditions.”
- Tanks Good News