Being a mum entails sacrifices, but it doesn’t mean that your career has to take a backseat. In support of work-family balance, we got Sher-li Torrey, founder of career portal Mums@Work, to answer job-related questions from mums in Singapore.
Q: I am a new mother of a 6-month-old baby. I have always enjoyed the company of my colleagues. After returning from maternity leave, I find myself struggling to balance work and family. Sometimes after work, my colleagues want to hang out for dinner or after-work drinks. But I need to get home to feed my baby and spend time with him. But I am also worried that the bond with my teammates will be affected. What can I do to ensure that I can balance my commitments at work and at home?
A: First-time parents often struggle to maintain work-family balance in the first few months after the child is born. Parenting is considered a life-stage change as it has an impact on many aspects of one’s life. One of the big challenges is to continue to give one’s best at work, but also find time to care for your new child. Many mothers are torn between both roles, after they return to work from maternity leave.
In terms of managing work duties, you might want to have a chat with your supervisor to discuss ways to make small adjustments to your work arrangement or schedule. For example, in firms that allow some flexibility, you might negotiate for a weekly half-day or one-day work-from-home arrangement. If you were previously travelling extensively, there might be some areas that you can now consider replacing with a Zoom meeting.
For many new mothers, one area of life that has changed would be the availability to take part in social engagements. For many working mothers, hanging out with colleagues is a wonderful way to get to know their co-workers better. It is also a good way to destress. Unfortunately, when time is limited, social gatherings will often be the one activity that new mothers give up. This need not be the case, if you adopt a systematic approach to organising your time.
On the work front, to continue participating in out-of-office social gatherings with your colleagues, there are two arrangements you can consider.