SARASOTA – If you’re a dad working from home or a new mom scared to go back to work during the pandemic, don’t be afraid to lean on your workplace.
“Employers do a lot of things these days,” Villyge Founder & CEO Debi Yadegari said. “They offer everything from pet walking services to sometimes shoe shining and manicures in the office.”
Yadegari says employers hire her company Villyge to help both moms and dads juggle the work-life balance.
“We provide working parents, the employees, with one-on-one, personalized support,” Yadegari said.
With the stress of kids now going back to school, whether at home or in person, parents need that support.
“It’s everything from having that awkward conversation with your boss about your transition, either going out on leave or back, to breastfeeding, pumping in the workplace, getting your child to sleep through the night,” Yadegari said.
They even help companies build lactation rooms and safe breastfeeding spaces for moms.
“Providing support specifically for breastfeeding moms tremendously reduces healthcare costs within a company,” Yadegari said, reducing stress for working parents, and in turn, making them better workers. The American Academy of Pediatrics says for every dollar a company spends on a lactation program, they’ll return three dollars in value.
“Working moms are extremely stressed as it is,” Yadegari said.
The pandemic only adds to that stress, but Yadegari says the more you take care of yourself, the better you’ll be as a parent and a worker.
“It’s hard to check your hat at the door these days,” Yadegari said. “We’re workers 24/7, and we’re absolutely parents 24/7, so when employers can support their employees in a way that’s so personal and so important to their employees, it’s just a win-win for all.”
Click here to learn more about Villyge.
