Working Mothers
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Transcript
Hello, I’m Fukai from HTM!
Today, I’m joined by my team members Nishio-san and Yokote-san.
We’re going to talk about what it’s like to work at HTM as a working mother.
Both Nishio-san and Yokote-san joined HTM in July 2015.
They both gave birth to daughters and took maternity leave at the same time.
They also returned to work at the same time, in April 2018.
So let’s begin.
Nishio-san, when you went on maternity leave, you were a key member of the payroll processing team.
Did becoming a working mother change your role in the company?
I don't think it did.
After coming back to work I returned to a role in a different area, but in my new position I had the same level of responsibility as before.
I feel moving into a new area gave me the chance to widen my skill base for the growth of my career.
Fukai-san as you know at HTM we invest in people, whether they’re working parents or not.
I work fewer hours since having my child, but I still get the same oportunities as anyone else.
I never had to choose between my career and my family.
I see.
Yokote-san, how did you feel HTM supported you as a working mother?
I think HTM has really thought about how to help working mothers.
Do you agree?
I do!
When I returned to work here, my daughter was just 1 year old and she often caught colds.
I could come to work just 2 or 3 days per week sometimes.
One of the things that was and still is helpful to me our sick leave policy.
When our kids have a high fever, we can’t take them to nursery school.
We have to take care of them at home.
At HTM, we can take unlimited paid sick leave to take care of them.
It shows HTM understands that our children are our highest priority.
That's really unusual right?
It is!
Yokote-san mentioned that sometimes you may have to look after your children.
Nishio-san, what do you do when that happens suddenly during the work day?
Well, you're right. Just like Yokote-san said, our children do get sick frequently, and it isn't unusual to get a call from day care
telling us our child is sick or injured, and we need to go and pick them up.
At those times, we have to go and get them immediately, even if we have ongoing tasks.
In such situations our team members step in and support us.
Whenever it happens they are always happy to help with no questions asked.
I’m really grateful to them.
So it works because everyone supports each other.
Exactly.
That's wonderful.
Could you explain how that works in more detail?
Of course. First, we work in teams, so we always have a backup person.
There are no tasks that only one person can do.
In addition, since the processes are clear and documented, the supporting person can easily take over in the middle of a task.
That's great.
Yokote-san, since having your daughter, you don’t work full time.
Can you talk a little bit about how you balance work and home life now?
At HTM, working mothers can set our working hours depending on our situation for as long as we need to.
Instead of 9:00 to 18:00 like most people, including you Fukai-san, some of us work from 9:00 to 16:00, and others work from 8:30 to 17:30.
Also, some of us work 4 days per week instead of 5.
Now, Nishio-san and I work from 9:00 to 16:00.
That allows me to pick up my daughter from nursery school at 17:00.
It allows for good work-life balance for me.
Even though we work fewer hours, we make as much of an impact as we can in the hours we have.
That's right!
We all do what we can!
Thank you both for your time.
I think it is clear we understand the challenges faced by working mothers and have created a company and culture in which they can succeed.
If HTM sounds like the working environment for you, please apply!
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