With Mother’s Day just barely in the rearview mirror and Father’s Day right around the corner, the 20/20 Onsite team has been thinking a lot about the role employers play in helping families thrive.
We spoke to a few of the hard-working moms and dads on our team to get their thoughts on what businesses can do to support working parents.
Here’s who we spoke to:
- Sonali Bloom, Chief Executive Officer
- Ivan Quiroz - Vice President of Clinic Operations
- Farrah Coady - Director of Human Resources
Read what they had to say about juggling parenting with professional life, and see how 20/20 Onsite makes it easy to support the working parents on your team.
Ivan and his family.
How does 20/20 Onsite support employees and their families?
Ivan Quiroz: 20/20 Onsite makes it so I don't have to use 'Family Time' to get my eye exam or buy glasses. I can even bring my older kids in for an eye exam, and they are always excited about the Mobile Vision Clinics!
Farrah Coady: 20/20 Onsite offers a rich and comprehensive array of traditional health/wellness benefits, access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), paid parental time off, and days off for mental preventative health appointments. All of these provide peace of mind to our employees when potentially facing health issues for themselves and their families.
Does this sound like a place you’d love to work? We’re hiring! Check out our open positions here.
What type of health and wellness benefits matter to you most as a father?
Ivan: Any benefits that are preventative are important because they keep me healthy for my family. Plus, they save me time, so I have more free time to spend with my family. Those are the benefits that not only keep our family healthy but also keep us close!!
What type of health and wellness benefits matter to you most as a mother?
Farrah: Certainly the traditional plans like health, dental, and vision benefits are important, but what makes the most difference in my life are the EAPs, mental health days, and preventative health days. My children are older now, but if I was just starting a family, the fact that we offer paid parental leave for the birth or adoption of a child is a fantastic and welcome benefit as well.
What wellness benefits should companies consider offering their employees, especially in our new hybrid work environment?
Farrah: The pandemic has dramatically impacted the work environment. Though we’ve been at it a few years now, many workers aren’t yet accustomed to this new normal of hybrid work.
That’s why I believe it’s important for companies to consider providing more access to mental health services in addition to an EAP. There are solutions out there that cater specifically towards addressing stress, anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues by providing discounted access to therapists/counselors, meditation practices, tools to mitigate stress responses and more.
With many workers still struggling with the impact of new work environments and the stress of the pandemic, comprehensive mental health benefits are an important addition to employee benefits programs.
Recommended reading: Learn how to design and implement health and wellness programs for a hybrid workforce.
As our new CEO, how do you plan on balancing work and your family life?
Sonali and her son.
Sonali Bloom: I feel tremendously lucky to find myself in a position where my family life and my work life are both so engaging, in very different ways—and to have a family that is profoundly supportive of my career. My intention is to pour every ounce of my energy into the things I think are most important every day. While some days are more about work, other days are more about family, but there is always time for both.
However, I can't say I'm a master of work/life balance. I do a lot of late-night emailing after everyone else is fast asleep. But even if the action-packed, wearing-many-hats, complete fullness of every day leaves me depleted, it also leaves me feeling fulfilled.
Recommended reading: for strategies to improve your work-life balance, check out our blog on how to set healthy boundaries and avoid burnout.
What does it mean to you to be a mother and CEO?
Sonali: It means no amount of coffee will ever be enough! Just kidding...
Being a parent brings a new definition to what it means to be responsible for others, as nothing is as terrifying, or as wonderful, as being responsible for your own tiny human. Seeing the world through the eyes of a baby has encouraged me to open my mind, explore new perspectives, and re-examine things I've taken for granted. That has, in turn, made me more empathetic, more curious about my team members' experiences and ideas, and more likely to look at the challenges we face with fresh eyes.
Being a new mom has moved me to savor every moment, as I see my son growing and developing before my very eyes. I try to bring that same habit to work, taking time to savor our successes even as our company is growing and changing at a rapid clip.
I always believed my greatest asset in the workplace was my mind, but I have learned that the best leaders lead from the heart. In many ways, I think becoming a mom has made me a better leader—one with passion, compassion, loyalty, and love grounding my actions and decisions.
Great health and wellness benefits support the whole family
According to the working moms and dads on our team, the best health and wellness benefits go beyond providing support for yearly physicals and eye exams (although those are important too). Parents are busy as is. Throw a full-time job into the mix, and life can get incredibly hectic.
By offering convenient health and wellness benefits like onsite care, working parents can devote more of their free time to their families. Want to learn more about how 20/20 Onsite can help you better support the working parents on your team? Contact us today to learn about the benefits of scheduling onsite (and kid-friendly!) vision care with our Mobile Vision Clinics.