Real Talk with a few of Clearcover’s Working Parents

Written by Team Clearcover | September 2nd, 2021

Being a working parent can require a bit of a juggling act. But being a working parent at a fast-growing start-up amidst a pandemic? This is like juggling on a tightrope...over shark-infested waters. It’s a delicate balance that requires patience, skill, and a willingness to embrace the unknown.

When the pandemic struck 17 months ago, Clearcover made the decision to temporarily close our Headquarters office, and arrange for all employees to work safely from home. As the pandemic continued to unfold in 2020, schools shut down, universities closed and even daycare providers were forced to close their doors. Many Clearcover parents found themselves not only working at home to support our fast-growing start-up, but balancing the demands of teaching their kids or caring for their children at home while they worked.

The fact is, being a working parent is harder than ever before. Recently, we asked a few of our employees to share their experience with parenthood at Clearcover. In the spirit of transparency, something we value deeply as a company, we’re sharing the good, the bad, and a little of the ugly (too many Slack messages).

If you’re a parent considering your next career move - or a candidate considering Clearcover, we invite you to consider the challenges, benefits, and beauty of being a working parent at Clearcover.

Thank you to the following working parents who contributed to this blog:

Kelsey Glynn, Senior Brand Manager
Sree Talluri, Director of Engineering
Mike Maloney, Sr. IT Administrator

What is the biggest challenge you face as a working parent?

Kelsey: The biggest challenge I face is feeling guilty. Every day is a balance between giving my time to work and also giving my time to being a mother to my daughter. It is particularly difficult with my daughter being 3, she doesn't go to school full-time yet. Some days I feel like I am the worst mom and other days I feel like the worst employee. I try to give myself grace especially when I am doubting myself.

Sree: Working parents have to deal with a lot more uncertainty on a daily basis. Remote work translated to longer working days, be it synchronous work or async work. Thankfully, my kids are much older now so I don't have significant challenges to balance my work and life. Due to the nature of my work, I do miss most dinners or evenings with them and I learned to be ok as they have gotten older, but on the days when I do spend with them, I make sure to make the most of them. It was 10x worse when my kids were younger, tuning our expectations and assessing the situation over time helped me find it less challenging now.

Mike: Time management would be the biggest challenge for me. Being in a household where both parents are working from home can be difficult because at any point in time I may have to take my IT hat off and put my parent hat back on.

What is the best thing about being a working parent at Clearcover?

Kelsey: My daughter gets to see me work hard toward my goals and celebrate my successes. She witnesses me pushing myself, she sees me grow and learn from my mistakes. My hope is that because she sees me having a career and contributing to our household income just as much as her dad, that it allows her to feel like she can do anything she wants in her life. Being a working parent, makes me fulfilled and allows me to take ownership of a part of my life that is outside of motherhood.

Sree: There are many things, I will share a few:

The 4-day workweek is a blessing. It allows me to have quality time with kids and catch up on life and errands without ruining the entire weekend for the errands.
Unlimited PTO - We have a lot of people at Clearcover like me who came from bigger companies and/or longer tenure, having unlimited PTOs was one less thing to worry about losing as it’s a huge perk for a lot of us including working parents.
This tops the list for me - weekends and nights chatter is limited to urgent and critical discussions, which gives me peace of mind.

Mike: The company has been super supportive. I'm a first-time parent and whether it was coordinating my leave or needing to take a half-day for a doctor’s appointment, I've only been supported to take care of what I need to take care of at home.

In a few words, can you explain the impact the pandemic has had on your life as a working parent at Clearcover?

Kelsey: I worked remotely for Clearcover prior to the pandemic, so my life didn't change that much when our headquarters went remote. My co-workers were already used to possibly seeing a toddler sitting with me or hearing her in the background.

Sree: I worked for another company during the first 6months of the pandemic before joining Clearcover in 2020. I knew what I was getting into. As I landed a new job at Clearcover during the pandemic, while kids were still doing remote school, I continued to spend long hours unable to see them most of the weekdays.

Things have gotten a lot better in 2021 especially with the 4-day work week and other programs rolled out by Clearcover to care for the mental well-being of their employees. Hard work doesn't feel hard when you do things you love to do and when you know Clearcover is invested in doing their part of taking care of your well-being and growth.

Mike: My perspective is a bit interesting because we found out we were having a baby in April of 2020. My experience of being a parent is only through the lens of the pandemic. I will say that working from home has been incredible because I have been able to be home and experience all of the milestones of a newborn. I feel that I have been able to experience so much more than if I was in an office full time.

Which benefits and/or perks does Clearcover offer that make your life as a parent easier or better?

Kelsey: My husband and I have been trying for a second baby for months. We recently had our first IVF consultation and were shocked to learn that my Clearcover benefits include IVF coverage! The majority of companies do not cover IVF, and in fact, anything “fertility-related” is excluded and considered an out-of-pocket expense. With my particular plan, I’m able to have 4 IVF cycles. I was so anxious about spending upwards of $30K for one cycle of IVF. I literally cried happy tears when I realized we had this benefit.

Also, being able to work remotely, with flexibility, and with unlimited vacation time has given me the opportunity to find a work-life balance. Some working moms, especially recently because of the pandemic, feel like they need to choose between working and being a parent, that they can't do both. Because Clearcover gives me the flexibility in my workday, I don't feel like I ever need to choose.

Sree: Unlimited PTOs. The 4-day workweek. Plus, most meetings are between 9 am or 5-6 pm so we can rely on async work outside of that window rather than being glued to the desk all day like other global companies with late night 10 pm or early morning 6 or 7 am meetings.

Mike: Every time that I mentioned that I had six weeks of paternity leave, people were always shocked. That six weeks right after our baby was born was very special and I'm happy that Clearcover supports new parents.

What advice, tips or strategies would you share with other parents who are considering work at Clearcover?

Kelsey: My biggest tip is to plan: put your working hours in your calendar, block time on your calendar as needed and put a slack status up when you aren't available or are away from your computer. This will help teammates avoid booking meetings over a time that you aren't able to make work because of life at home. If it does happen where a meeting is booked when you happen to be taking your kid to school, feel empowered to say no or ask to reschedule for a better time.

I also believe it’s important to speak up and communicate with your manager and team regarding your needs as a working parent. Have a desk in a room that has a door you can close. Manage your kids' expectations during the workday; even though my daughter is only 3-years old, I tell her when I have meetings so she knows I am not available.

Sree: I have heard nightmares about working in startups. Yes, we are a startup too with aggressive timelines and we’re experiencing hyper-growth. Since I joined Clearcover 9 months ago, Clearcover leadership has been making a conscious effort to consider human capability and feasibility while planning big releases or major launches.

Things are getting a lot better, and yes, we still have a long way to go. If you are a working parent and have never experienced startups, the best advice I can give if you are still undecided before or after your interview process at Clearcover, ask the recruiting team to connect you with a working parent at Clearcover to openly discuss any questions you may have about life at Clearcover as a working parent. Besides that, balance is a personal choice and 90% of it is still in your control.

Do you believe Clearcover offers parents the opportunity to find work-life balance?

Kelsey: Yes, I believe Clearcover offers parents a great work-life balance. Clearcover gives me the flexibility I need to be the mother I want to be.

Sree: At the end of the day, balance means different things to different people. Firstly, I believe that how we achieve that balance between life and work is in our control and not in the hands of our boss or company, or HR.

Beyond that, yes, Clearcover People Team and the people managers make conscious efforts to help do their part in relieving the stress of their employees. The company has impressive maternity and paternity leave benefits and other webinars they set up periodically to share tips and strategies on how working parents can manage stress during the pandemic.