RETURN ON INVOLVEMENT
We all want to be there for the people that matter most – our families.
When you’re involved in your children’s major milestones and everyday lives you build strong relationships, help develop social skills, and show support for their passions.
Even knowing how important family is, men and women can find it challenging to juggle both work and family life without feeling overwhelmed. Statistics Canada found that fathers working full time or in the private sector were less likely to take parental leave, but parent friendly workplace policies and culture can help employees feel confident to balance their work and family responsibilities.
How can companies create a workplace that supports their staff’s ability to thrive both in and outside of work? At our previous What’s In It For Me? webinar we explored the importance of parental policies in promoting equality and the impact parental friendly policies have on staff and the company as a whole.
SPEAKERS
Dr. Rachael Pettigrew
Dr. Rachael Pettigrew is an Assistant Professor of General Management and Human Resources in Bissett School of Business at Mount Royal University. With a deep commitment to social justice, Rachael’s primary research focus is organizational culture and gender in the workplace, with specific focus on policies surrounding employees' work-life demands. Recent projects have explored fathers' parental leave use and employer adaptation to the new extended parental leave legislation. Her secondary research stream investigates workplace diversity and inclusion, including newcomers. Rachael has over 18 years of teaching university experience, is a public speaker, and is regularly engaged with industry.
Erika Mair
Erika is a Business Partner on the People Team at Benevity, a company whose mission is to infuse goodness into the world. Benevity offers programs that engage today’s diverse workforce by connecting people to causes that matter to them. Erika spends her days supporting Benevity-ites through various internal programs including being a champion for mental health initiatives and parental leave. When Erika isn’t supporting Benevity’s people you can find her biking around town, spending time with her pups, or dreaming of when she can travel the world again.
KELVIN SHELDON
Kelvin Sheldon lives in Calgary, Alberta with his wife and two daughters. Kelvin is a certified Project Manager, PMP that has spent his career supporting technology groups in the utilities and public sectors. Kelvin has volunteered with and supported the work of Next Gen Men for the last three years, promoting gender equity however he can. Over the course of his career, Kelvin jumped at the twice in a lifetime opportunity to take parental leave with both of his daughters. Even with a resulting strong father-daughter bond, his girls still don’t tolerate his long monologues contemplating life and his fascination with comic book characters.
FINDING MY WAY TO FATHERHOOD
“My dad taught me that fatherhood is presence. You have to show up. You have to be there.”