Natalie Mayslich, the general manager of Care.com, is living the life of millions of working people who shoulder caregiver duties at home. In the past two years, she has cared for her mother through hospice, moved her aging father into her home, and looked after her three kids, including two toddler twins.
The 35-year-old is keenly aware of how much more challenging life has become for people like her—especially working mothers—since the pandemic began. Recent research from McKinsey has shown that one in four women are now considering downgrading their jobs or leaving the workforce; for those with small children, that figure is one in three. In the US, most working parents and other employees who double as informal caregivers have long had to struggle through without paid family leave (though that may soon change).
The website, Care.com, is one of many private sector businesses filling a void created by a patchwork child care system in the US, though it also operates globally. The site connects customers with caregivers looking for work. People can search for full-time nannies, virtual or in-person babysitters, or in-home healthcare for seniors and others. Since the pandemic began, in particular, Care’s enterprise arm, which serves companies looking to offer employees easier access to vetted child and elder care, has seen demand surge. Now the company is preparing to launch a daycare service.
Mayslich spoke to Quartz about how employers are finally taking care benefits seriously, her caregiving history, and the advice she would give anyone who has faced similar pressures. The interview has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.
You have described yourself as the “quintessential Care customer.” Tell me more.
I’m very much part of this sandwich generation where I have three kids—my oldest is six and I also have two-year-old twins— and now my dad is living with us. Before a few years ago, I was also caring for my mother and I was always asking myself: How do I do it all and have a career? And this was pre-pandemic, before we were really shining a light on this child care crisis.
I’m trying to solve this problem for families which look a lot like mine or for people who are entering a care crisis, because we all have them throughout our lives. I see my role as reducing a lot of friction and making it easier for so many families who are in crisis mode, because I’ve been there and you know, navigating through those incredibly complex care decisions is really, really hard.
What we’re constantly asking ourselves is how do we make this easier? How do we help guide families through the interview process so they can get someone into the home faster? How do we reduce the time that it takes to hire help or to find help?
What does “reducing friction” look like in practice?
It’s providing guidance. It’s being very clear about what we offer and why. It’s ensuring that families know whether or not they are qualified to receive some governmental care help.
Within senior care, there are a lot of families who raise their hand and say “I’m interested in senior living solutions,” but they don’t know that insurance generally doesn’t cover senior living solutions. Many families assume there is a social safety—that net that doesn’t exist by the way!—and are unprepared for how much it’s going to cost. They don’t know what care options exist.
What changed in the pandemic in terms of care, and how can companies support that going forward?
The pandemic shone a light on the problem. Now employers have a real view into the family lives of their employees as real people with real problems that come to work, too.
At the outset of the pandemic, we needed to understand, “how is the care landscape evolving? How are employers reacting to what’s happening?”
And what we found is interesting: First, employers are recognizing that there is a real need here and over half the employers that we’ve now surveyed are responding to the need for care benefits. In fact, our enterprise business has seen a rise in demand during the pandemic for care benefits for employees.
During the Great Resignation, or the great reshuffling, we’ve seen a lot of employees raising their hands and a large percentage of them saying, “I want to work for a company which values me as an individual, not just as an employee,” and what that often means is a family-friendly work environment with care benefits, with clear and honest and open communication around how to help navigate some of these problems.
What advice do you have for caregivers who are also working?
Use your voice, set boundaries at work, and be proactive and transparent about what’s happening at home in order to ensure that you are being recognized for the work that you’re doing, but also to set yourself up for success.
I learned that lesson from the pandemic. I also learned that lesson in my former role at IAC. I see a lot of women, especially, underestimating how important it is to open themselves up a bit more and be vocal about what they need to be effective at work.
In my former role, I didn’t share what was happening until I’d sort of reached a breaking point. I went to HR and I was like, “How do I do this? How do I manage through this? I don’t want to drop the ball at work. I cannot drop the ball at home with my kids. But I want to be there for my mom and I don’t have a lot of time. How does this all work?”
I got feedback and pointers that empowered me to go back to IAC and ask for a break. I was like, “I have just gone through six months of hell and I need time. I’m going to come back and I’ll come back stronger and I’ll come back with a bigger vision, but I’m burned out and I need that time and I need that space.”
Keep reading the interview here.
Five things we learned this week
Not only are companies not promoting trans employees, they’re failing to provide basic support. A McKinsey study discovered that 60% of trans people avoided certain industries out of fear for their own safety.
The pandemic has forced Tyson to become a more humane employer. To stay competitive, the meat-packing giant now offers child care benefits, wellness perks, and better wages.
Seven in 10 job seekers believe you can forge rich professional connections entirely online. Gen Z employees, in particular, find virtual networking easy, effective, and normal.
“Trustworthy” and “kind” are the new “bold” and “risk-taking.” A global survey of 10,000 workers in creative industries like advertising and film, found that the traits people most value in business partners have changed.
Biden’s proposed paid family leave plan would cover all employees—including part-time, self-employed, and gig workers. The bill defines family as people related by blood or affinity.
Bring It!
More companies are urging people to bring their “whole self” to work. That may mean sharing non-visible gender or cultural identities, or letting people know about a crisis at home, or discussing your own struggles with grief or anxiety, particularly after the pandemic.
But not all companies and coworkers are prepared to respond to this new, more complicated landscape. Our last workshop (Nov. 10) asked experts for advice for navigating the whole-self workplace with grace, and balancing individual needs with a professional mission. Quartz members can watch the replay and read a recap of the event here.
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Handshake? Hug? Fist bump?
The impulse to shake someone’s hand became fraught in the early days of the pandemic, before lockdowns made the issue of whether or not to clasp hands moot. We may be inching back to in-person gatherings and office meetings, but we’re more uncertain than ever about how to greet people. Shake hands, air kiss, steer clear? We want to hear from you.
Are you shaking hands again? Giving and receiving hugs? Have you resorted to the simple nod hello?
Send your etiquette opinions to work@qz.com and we’ll share them in a future edition of this newsletter.
Look after No. 1
American workers who do not have children or other family members to care for at home might believe they will never need paid family leave. But according to the most recent data, 51% of employees who apply for unpaid family leave—the only universally available option right now—use the benefit to look after their own medical issues.
You got The Memo!
The Memo was written by Lila MacLellan and edited by Francesca Donner.
Our best wishes for a safe and successful week. Send any workplace news, fancy handshakes, and virtual networking invitations to work@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by downloading our app and becoming a member.