Balancing parenting and work: Some other opinions

You’ve read about Marissa Mayer’s memo discouraging telework at Yahoo, and you’ve heard from Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg, whose book argues that working women should “lean in” to the challenges of juggling care er and family life.

What does the ensuing debate mean in Washington, with its mix of contractors, lawyers, lobbyists and federal workers? We asked some local leaders: Do female bosses have different expectations of their employees than men? Are they dialing back the advances women have made in the workplace? Would a male boss have taken such a stance? In sum, can a lobbyist do her job from home? Does it matter to a client if a lawyer is drafting that important Supreme Court brief while tending to his sick child at home?

Here are some of their responses:

Like any working parent, I know how hard it can be to balance work and family. In our office people tend to need to be there during the day since almost all of the work involves face-to-face constituent meetings and hearings, but when stuff happens on weekends or evenings or if a family issue comes up during a workday, people often work or research issues at home. The key is making the job a place where people want to be but also not being too rigid when life and work go head to head!

--Amy Klobuchar

Senior United States Senator from Minnesota

Flexibility is the central need for today’s working mothers and fathers. I know from experience that this is especially true in the fast paced environment of a consulting firm. Most times, it’s preferable for people to work on-site. Client emergencies, strategy sessions and project management necessitate close interaction among teams. There are moments when no conference call, Skype discussion or email exchange can replace the power of individuals working side-by-side. 

But, it’s always been very important to me that our staff  build their careers while they are satisfying commitments to families and friends. So, I’ve found it essential to provide working mothers — and fathers — with guilt-free flexibility.

As I moved up through the ranks, I started out single, got married, adopted an hour commute, had one child and then another. My life and job demands increased significantly over the years and my need for flexibility surfaced in different ways. At each step, my firm allowed me to be true to my family at the same time I advanced in my responsibilities. I know I can’t “be there” for everything in my children’s lives but I know that I will never be asked to miss the many moments that really matter.

— Martha Boudreau

President Mid-Atlantic & Latin America
Fleishman-Hillard International Communications

With the caveat that I have not read Mayer’s memo and only reviews of Sandberg’s book, my initial reaction is sympathy with the view that if women wish to succeed in the workplace, they should “lean in” to its challenges.

I do not minimize how difficult this can be especially if, like most of us, a woman has fewer financial resources than Mayer or Sandberg. But I do not think it is unreasonable for an employer to expect a woman to work as hard, and as well as a man. I expect both the women and the men who work as my law clerks to work hard and, if necessary, late and on weekends, as I do.