Creating an Environment Where Working Parents Thrive
Our Parents Employee Resource Group (ERG) is a community for parents and caregivers that champions working parents. The group strives to optimize parents’ work experiences through community, policy and company norm improvements. The group also promotes ally partnership to increase internal and external visibility. In honor of Global Day of Parents, we connected with two members of the ERG to hear how Thumbtack has supported them and created a best-in-class workplace for parents.
Yael Levy, Lead Brand Writer has an 8 year old stepdaughter
Tyler Bailey, Senior Director Trust & Safety Operations has 5 children (ages 1–11)
How has Thumbtack supported you as a parent?
Yael: Thumbtack has offered me so much flexibility, generosity, and empathy. I’m so grateful that my team and the company at large make it possible for me to step away to pick her up from school or just take a break to connect. When she did the entirety of first grade remotely, it was a lifesaver to be able to help her with school, make lunch, answer questions, and take a hug break! Just this morning, I was able to take the time to watch her perform with her grade in an end-of-the-school-year dance celebration — in the past, I might not have been able to show up for her like that.
Tyler: My spouse and I have had three children during my tenure at Thumbtack and the parental leave policy has improved each time. Our last child just turned one year old. Never before have I had the opportunity to spend this much dedicated time to directly support my family without interruption and likely won’t again until I retire. I am genuinely and forever grateful that Thumbtack values parents and invests in a generous leave policy.
Tell us about your experience in our Parents ERG?
Yael: The Parents ERG is such a beautiful balance of funny stories, commiseration, advice, and celebration. I love the diversity of the group, too — there are parents of infants, parents of grown children, stepparents, bio parents, adoptive parents, all across the US and Canada and the Philippines. As a stepmom, sometimes parenting groups aren’t the most welcoming, or people make assumptions. But every parent is unique and I’m especially grateful that the Parents ERG has been so welcoming and inclusive.
Tyler: I love our Parents ERG! It’s one of the more active Slack channels and is a great place for parents to support each other, provide advice, and of course share kid pics or funny stories. Thanks to the dedication of ERG leaders, the community support for new parents has continually improved. We’ve been able to help normalize things that can often be overlooked at other companies including calendar blocks for family events, offline slack hours during dinner/family time, and 100% excitement for kids zoom bombing their parents during meetings.
What’s your best parenting advice?
Yael: Every parent out there knows you receive a lot of advice, but the one piece of advice I think about most often is almost non-advice — to not worry so much about what others do and to focus on what works for me, the child in my care, and my family. Also, to do your best but accept that you’ll make mistakes.
Tyler: Family comes first — always. In American corporate life, there seems to often be a perception that you’ll need to put your family on the back burner in order to succeed. All of the leaders that I respect greatly and see as prime examples of people to emulate, dismiss that perception without a second thought. As a parent, our primary responsibility is to our family first and always. With that focused priority, everything else will fall into place.
Interested in a career at Thumbtack? Apply to our open positions at thumbtack.com/careers.
