Many of us would agree that being a working parent can be challenging. That’s where bp’s UK family-friendly benefits can help. We chat with Bev, safety & operational learning specialist, about how she manages her caring responsibilities while juggling the demands of a busy corporate role.
Hi Bev! How have you benefitted from bp’s UK family-friendly benefits?
Child-time leave (where UK employees are eligible* to take up to six weeks’ paid leave within 36 weeks of welcoming a new child) was a great support for me. This meant I could spend additional quality time with my daughter following my maternity leave as she transitioned into a full-time nursery setting. I used the additional time to ease out of any return-to-work anxiety while transitioning back to work, blending childcare, eldercare and work life – all mentally complex, especially post-Covid.
What support did you get when returning to work following maternity leave?
My line manager and team were incredibly supportive. I had opted to keep connected throughout my maternity leave and did not feel disconnected to the organisation on my return. I did not feel overwhelmed and, because I eased back into work life at my own pace, I was able to ask for opportunities and help when needed. I provided my colleagues, manager and the business with clarity on what I needed, and they responded positively in kind.
Which are your favourite UK family-friendly discretionary benefits?
The eldercare support is my favourite. As a main carer for my elderly mum, it can sometimes be challenging when I am unable to logistically or physically be present while juggling work as well as childcare responsibilities. Eldercare support has really come in handy when I need a professional carer to provide last minute companionship and care for my mum. I feel at ease, confident that the care is provided by a regulated professional company on behalf of bp.
As a busy working mother, which UK discretionary benefits have helped you spend more time with your family?
Hybrid working is a game-changer, which has helped alleviate the parent guilt of missing the school run and core school and nursery activities. This benefit allows me to work from home, do the school-run and then the pick-up from wrap-around care. I do this while committed to my professional role and delivering on my responsibilities without feeling overwhelmed. Hybrid working allows me to give myself grace and feel less parent guilt on days where I am office based. Chaos is synonymous with being a working parent, but bp’s UK discretionary benefits offer the tools and support to provide calm in the chaos.
You’re a member of bp’s Working Families employee resource group. Which activities have you benefitted from?
My kids and I thoroughly enjoyed the 2023 bp Sunbury Family Day. They were impressed by the plethora of fun and kid-centred events that were organised, from face painting and the petting zoo, to the F1 car experience. They enjoyed it so much, my four-year-old is still in awe and constantly requesting a return to ‘mummy’s office’. The insights shared via webinars where colleagues talk about their experiences of being a working parent and carer resonate with people. With two young children, I always learn something new from the webinars, which cover a range of applicable topics.
What steps are taken by bp to help provide an inclusive and supportive environment for working parents?
On occasions where my children have been sent home from the nursery or school and I have needed to reschedule a meeting to accommodate childcare, my colleagues have shown genuine compassion and understanding. Meetings have either been moved or covered for me by a peer. This support underpins hybrid working, allowing me to continue to be committed to my role as an employee and be physically present as a parent, when necessary, to provide those important ‘mummy cuddles’. The reality is that, while juggling a personal and professional life can be complex, bp’s supportive and inclusive culture and its UK family-friendly discretionary benefits provide supportive pillars to enable me to serve both areas.
Anything else you would like to add?
As a working parent, bp’s family friendly benefits help me blend work and family life and its culture of real care for each other makes that blend successful.
