The Flowers Moms Deserve

Mother’s Day took on a different meaning for me after I gave birth to my daughter. Experiencing both the beauty and challenges of parenting as a single mom, I quickly learned why they say that it takes a village to raise a child.

In the U.S., we’ve been conditioned to believe that the corporations and organizations we work for owe us nothing other than our paycheck and its potential benefits. But what if I told you that another way was possible, and that the village it takes to raise a child can and should include our workspaces?

That’s not to say that every coworker will become a potential friend and babysitter, or that every other parent at your job should suddenly become part of the team you seek wise counsel from. However, what a job can and should offer to you as a mother is support in the form of flexibility, financial stability, and emotional security.

DEI policies would be beneficial to all mothers and caretaking networks, but because we have an aversion to doing things that would benefit Black and Brown women in any way, we instead settle for systems that keep us overwhelmed and unsupported. 

For organizations truly invested in supporting moms and their villages, these policies should be top of mind:

Moms Deserve Flexible Work Hours

We had an opportunity during the pandemic to change the standard of working culture in America, but instead squandered it to return to old ways of being. Remote, hybrid, and flexible work options aren’t just a nice-to-have—they’re a necessity for working parents. They are also an equity tool that can level the playing field for those juggling multiple roles within and beyond their households.

When companies offer flexibility, they’re really offering trust. Trust that people can manage their lives and deliver results without being under surveillance. Trust that they know when to log off and go pick up their child and when to log in and get the job done.

Moms Deserve Paid Parental Leave

Until paid leave is standardized across the nation, companies have an opportunity—and a moral obligation—to create policies that allow expecting parents to take the time they need away from work without the stress of losing most of their income or their status when they return.

And let’s be clear: when we say parents, we mean all parents. Not just birth moms. Not just married couples. All family structures deserve acknowledgment and protection. Paid parental leave is a DEI issue because the absence of it most negatively impacts those who are already systemically marginalized: hourly workers, single mothers, queer families, and Black and Brown caregivers.

Moms Deserve Bereavement Time and Mental Health Days

For those who have lost their mother or have strained relationships with them, Mother’s Day is yet another reminder to be kind, for we never fully know what people are carrying. 

Grief has no deadline or schedule to it, so when a staff member has a loss in their family, bereavement time is the minimum required to allow them the space to make final arrangements. It’s what happens afterwards that truly determines the moral compass of their organization, and how fit they are to show up for staff as they experience the intense highs and lows of life. 

Since we know that Black and Brown women are less likely to be extended the same grace and compassion of their White (or lighter skinned) counterparts, it’s important that work cultures be flexible enough to allow staff to take mental health days as needed, and without questions asked. Losing a loved one is challenging enough on its own without the added pressure of being in an inflexible and uncompassionate working environment. 

Mother’s Day reminds us that the flowers all moms deserve can be given not just in the physical, but in the intangible—through respect, decency, and opportunity. Through policies that make sense and cultures that make room. Through the simple yet radical idea that mothers and caregivers shouldn’t have to choose between their livelihood and their lives.

If your organization is ready to reimagine what support could look like for the caregivers on your team, ShiftED is ready to help. Schedule a consultation today and let’s start planting seeds that bloom all year long.