Mom Life at Freeletics
When looking for a new job, people find different things important at a company. Does the company offer flexible working hours or a hybrid setup? What does their benefits program look like? Is there a prioritisation of corporate responsibility or a strong sense of social values? Can work-life balance be achieved? As a mother, the latter is crucial to me because job and family must be compatible as a parent.
Luckily, since joining Freeletics, I’ve had very positive experiences, so I’d like to share a few stories and insights into the first three months.
People First Approach
The first story started even before my official start at Freeletics. After two years of a worldwide pandemic, my family and I planned a vacation shortly after the suggested starting date at Freeletics. I promised my family that I would ask for the time off but prepared them not to get too excited. Going on vacation for three weeks after working there for only six, well… it didn’t seem likely. To my surprise, it wasn’t a problem at all, and the team granted my request. We went on vacation, had a wonderful time with the family, and I came back to work without facing any troubles.
Working at Freeletics, I experienced a unique and inclusive environment for parents. From daily standups that kickoff with asking parents how the children have been to the CEO taking meetings with his baby in his lap to knowing that it’s understandable that you might not message back right away when you have afternoon toddler duty, it’s the little things that add up.
Come as You Are
Last week I had a digital meeting with a colleague and my manager. Two minutes into the discussion, my child (who I had just put to sleep) started screaming. I was stressed, and a bit embarrassed because it felt like I didn’t organize well enough to know I would have a crying kid in the background. My peers were neither annoyed nor stressed. Completely relaxed with the situation, they suggested that I check on my child, and they would have their 1:1 in the meantime until I came back, and if I didn’t return, we would find another time slot. This was already awesome, but many times — you might feel me — when you receive such a kind offer, you still feel stressed because you don’t want to overstrain people’s patience. However, in this particular situation, the two were super relaxed and made me comfortable. In that mood, I calmed my crying child, went back to my laptop, and we started our meeting as if nothing had ever interrupted us in the first place.
Of course, these are only my personal experiences. Therefore I’d like to end with some thoughts that our Chief Human Resources Officer, Daniela, shared in a conversation a few weeks ago. She said that “providing a workplace where employees can combine work and family easily with each other shouldn’t be something advertised as a unique benefit or a generous offering but rather be an expectation and the most normal thing in the business world.” I think that is a beautiful vision, and I am glad that all my personal experiences underline that this is something Freeletics truly and honestly strives to achieve.
I am excited to continue the modern vision of Freeletics as a company has and hope it can help raise the bar for others in the industry.
