I talked to one of my girlfriend’s on the phone this morning who had her first day back to work, part-time, since becoming a first-time Mom in mid-October. This was a decision that I, personally, really encouraged her to attempt, as part-time opportunities are hard to come by, and if her current employer was going to provide such a position, she should at least try it. As she summarized her first day back, the angst she endured was palpable. Most notably, she had planned to pump, but upon realizing she accidentally left her pumping tubes at home (too rurally located to turn around and get them), she tried to run into both Walmart and Target to pick up replacements. Tragically, neither stores sold these parts as stand-alones, so in her desperation, she had to purchase a brand new pump! Now, for those that don’t know, breast pumps cost an average of $200, and once purchased, they are non-returnable. Thus, I can only imagine how much it sucked to be her at that very moment.
That unfortunate incident, coupled with some pretty significant HR wrinkles, making her part-time status pretty much impossible to maintain, got me thinking…why are good, part-time positions for SAHMs (Stay At Home Moms) so hard to find???
Me and every SAHM friend I have are college-educated and relatively bright. I won’t even go into the responsibilities we manage on the homefront that are interchangeable in the workforce, as the estimated earnings of a working mom has been published and discussed at length on every morning show since, at least, the ’90s. I just wonder why there aren’t more opportunities for us? Hell, most of us don’t even require benefits. We just want compensation to afford that 50-minute massage we so desperately need, or the session of swim classes for our tikes without having to compromise their college education.
My point is that there is real stuff we SAHMs could be doing that could make a real and positive impact within corporate society, if only more opportunities were available. Hell, have us do your remedial administrative work from home — the cost savings in not needing an office workspace alone could be immeasurable, let alone the savings in not having to pay for the benefits many of us fortunately receive by way of our full-time husbands.
Ultimately, I truly believe that we can’t do it all, all at the same time, and be great at everything. So why not allow for more part-time gigs? Moms are renowned for their ability to multi-task, so why can’t more employers give us that shot? And where can I forward this blog entry so that more employers will read it???
For more “Deep Thoughts” from Jess, check out her blog at: jbbailey.blogspot.com
I agree that more companies need to start taking advantage of offering part-time telecommute positions to SAHMs. They could certainly save a lot on payroll and other expenses.