Juggling nappies and news pitching – how flexible work helps first time parents cope

2023 will see my daughter turn two. I’m not quite sure how it’s possible for so much time to have flown by. But as I struggle to comprehend how we are going to cope with the terrible twos, I’ve also been reflecting on how flexible working has helped my wife and I cope as first-time parents.

Having a child while still working full-time seemed a huge and daunting challenge. Between illnesses, weaning and nappy changes, I’d always questioned just how parents were expected to raise children and stay sane at work. But stay sane I have, with the support of Spark and the flexible work policies at our disposal.

PR and pampers do mix

Spark has an open, flexible work policy that has been invaluable in helping me juggle the unpredictability of parenthood and work. The biggest help has been the ability to work flexible hours - starting late or finishing early, depending on who is doing nursery pick-up and drop-off, and being able to log in after hours to finish bits off, if needed. This has also been great when my daughter has been unwell and needs picking up from nursery, often at short notice.

Sometimes there is just too much to juggle and either me or my wife will need to stop working and look after our daughter. Fortunately, at Spark I have been able to book days off at short notice to cover for childcare when the circumstances are against us. This has been possible because Spark limits our client billable hours, meaning there is usually capacity to help each other out when people are off sick, or in my case, my daughter is off sick (thanks everyone!).

Four-day weeks

Like many other companies, Spark has moved to a hybrid working model. The typical person at Spark is in the office at least two times per week, with the rest spent working from home. This has made it easier for me to be present in my daughter’s life and gives much greater freedom for family time.

But the biggest shift of late for me has been changing to a four-day work week. I no longer work on a Tuesday. The benefits for me have been crystal clear. I feel more productive, committed and have more family time than ever before. I’ve also been able to use my Tuesdays off work to facilitate hospital appointments to fix a dodgy ankle as well as see friends and family.

Spark has supported me in this by reducing my workload by 20%, rather than expecting me to do five days’ worth of work in four. And I’ve worked with my colleagues to ensure we stay in touch via Teams and Zoom, despite me being in the office less than others.

For any parent, flexibility can be key to getting us back and keeping us in the workforce. For any prospective parents looking for that flexibility, then I believe Spark could be the place for you