How real inclusion and anti racism practices supported me to single parent in a pandemic
Jacqui Kairu - Operations Coordinator at Hue Colour the Conversation
Hue is an anti racism training and consulting organisation run by people with lived experiences of racism and oppression.
It was 10am on a cold Monday morning. Despite the dreary weather, I was running on a high with a great work flow going. I had responded to several emails, talked to a potential client and scheduled 2 anti racism training workshops, when I received a call from my 2 year old’s childcare. I sighed as I stared blankly at my phone.
The first time I received one of these calls, I answered immediately, frantic and worried about my then 11 month old. But now, one year and 30 plus calls later, aware of the ailments passing from child to child and sometimes child to parent this routine had become typical.
I picked the phone up… slowly.
The call confirmed my fears, I had to go pick him up. As I hung up the phone, all I could think was how my entire day was disrupted. With the impact of the Coronavirus and the effects of social isolation, my temper frayed. Stressed, distressed and overwhelmed, I was shifting between parent guilt and guilt around being unable to deliver workwise for the day.
Jacqui and her son Ari.
The truth is the pandemic has delivered with it a new normal, as we try to juggle unknown territory, and conflicting priorities – work, school, self, relationships, health and even downtime, it can be difficult for 2 or more parent households let alone a single parent home.
This isn’t made any easier given that the majority of employers in Victoria only offer 10 paid leave days of personal/carer leave per year, this is extremely limiting and can impact health, finances or mental wellbeing.
Employers need to reflect on the level of carer/personal leave they provide to better support their staff. By engaging staff in the development of these policies and providing them with realistic personal/carer leave, they can develop better overall health and build trust within the organisation.
At Hue, the provision of an unlimited number of paid personal/carer leave days allows us staff to better gauge what we need without the added financial and mental stress. This is a level of care every member of staff deserves within their organisation. I encourage organisations to invest the suite of template policies created by Hue to better support their workers in these areas.
In addition to this, as a remote worker, I get to choose how I work, and on the days I have my son home sick I can cater to his needs by opting to either take the day off or work a limited number of hours. Whenever I choose to work, I attempt to remain gentle, encourage his independent play and use his nap time to get my harder tasks done. Most important of all, I attempt to set realistic expectations for the day.
Working at Hue has provided a corrective experience of what I expect from an employer. Not only do they teach anti racism and inclusion they actually live it. Anti racism and inclusion are at the core of the procedures and policies, the time taken and care to build trust, restorative practices and invest in relationships meaningfully. This eliminates the stress of trying to get certificates to prove I or my child are unwell and the added expense of visiting my GP who no longer offers to bulk bill.
With childcare workers overworked and underpaid, there are not many places to direct this frustration. As a parent who depends on childcare providers who are not treated with the regard they deserve, employers need to take time to understand how the current systems are restrictive and not inclusive and do what they can to provide the best care for their employees. In addition to this care, it is crucial to advocate for the people we entrust to care for our children. This will ensure we are able to gain the additional support we need to be better parents, friends, employees and overall humans.
Click here to see the workplace policies and human resources templates that Hue offers.
