Working and Parenting at Teachable During COVID-19
Back in March, Teachable went remote as COVID-19 spread throughout the U.S. As schools and daycares were shut down, our parents found themselves pulling double, triple shifts. They started juggling full-time work, with full-time parenting, with full time teaching.
Aaron, our VP of Engineering, had a difficult time adjusting to the transition as COVID-19 isolation meant that he and his wife couldn’t access childcare. “For roughly three months, my wife and I had no childcare and thus had to take turns watching [our daughter] throughout the workday. Most days my actual time spent trying to get work done was anywhere from 50–70% of what I would normally be able to commit to work, and that didn’t even account for the fact that I was exhausted all of the time from watching my kid while I wasn’t working.”
Many other parents have echoed similar sentiments. It can get overwhelming when dealing with work, parenting, and a pandemic.
On a more positive note, being at home has also provided more time for our parents to spend with their children. Many of our parents have children under the age of five and working from home has provided them a chance to see them grow. Big moments are sometimes even shared over video meetings. Our Sales Manager, Kaivona said that her daughter reached a milestone during a meeting. “My daughter took her first steps while I was in a 1:1. It was amazing…I couldn’t have asked for a better moment to see it all happen and be able to share it with my team.”
At Teachable, our Teachaparents have their own Slack channel called #t-sprouts. It’s a space for parents to ask each other for advice, commiserate with one another, share victories, and of course, post adorable baby photos.
The #t-sprouts channel has provided a lot of comfort during these times. Aaron has found “it’s often encouraging enough…to just see the interaction between the parent community and Teachable.” As Newton, one of our Senior Engineering Managers, succinctly phrased it: “#t-sprouts all the way.”
Back in June, after more than two months of working from home, our VP of Marketing, Matt, reached out to the People team with the idea to send crafting kits to our Teachaparents. He noted that working full time while also watching their kids full time was taking a huge toll on our parents as they tried to achieve perfection in both areas. While not an exact substitute for babysitting, the activity baskets would give parents a few hours back — and they were a hit! Each kit came with a few different projects and could occupy the time of everyone through fun, creative activities. The children loved them, and our parents really appreciated the gesture.
As the company grows and hires more parents, especially at the management-level, folks feel supported and understood. If they need to take time off or work odd hours due to parenting duties, people are quick to understand. A few of our parents even have blocks on their calendars indicating they won’t be taking meetings during this time due to childcare responsibilities. Coworkers have been respectful of these requests. Aaron shared, “I always got a word of encouragement and never once was made to feel guilty or that I was inconveniencing the company. It was such a comfort to know that I could take the time I needed to be a good parent and spouse.”
