CELEBRATING McCORMICK TAYLOR'S MOMS

Moms are some of the hardest-working people in the world. Being a parent is a job in itself, but moms manage to juggle their careers, parenthood, and so much more with ease.

 

McCormick Taylor is dedicated to improving the life aspect of the work-life balance for all of our employees, especially parents who already make sacrifices for their children. In honor of Mother's Day on May 14, we asked a few McCormick Taylor moms three questions:
 

1) What does McCormick Taylor do to help you improve your work-life balance?

2) How does McCormick Taylor's flexibility help you spend more time with your child(ren)?

3) Do you have any advice for new moms in the workforce?

Katrina Budischak, PE, AICP, Project Manager, Transportation Planning

1. McCormick Taylor cares as much about me as they do my little one and want to make sure that we both are thriving. The flexibility to be able to work from home while my husband is on his paternity leave has been invaluable and has provided a slow transition for me back from maternity leave. It has allowed me to focus on work and not the other stresses of being away from my child for hours on end every day. 

 

2. The flexibility of work hours has allowed for me to start and end my day at times that align with my daughter’s ever-changing schedule. Since she’s only 3 months old she is not yet sleeping through the night consistently (aka she’s done it twice!) so being able to start at 8, 8:30, or 9 has really helped!

 

3. As a new mom myself, I have found other moms’ advice to be invaluable as they have experienced it ALL and found a way through it! So far, the advice that rings the most true to me with a 3-month-old is that “the only thing that is guaranteed is that when you get it figured out it will be different next week so stay flexible and you’ll enjoy your time at work and at home more.”

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Natalie Murphy, Proposal Coordinator II

1. As a new mom, work-life balance is so important. Two things that stick out to me are the trust to get our work done and the support from my department. Unexpected things can happen throughout the day in your personal life and it’s clear that McCormick Taylor is caring and understanding about their employees’ situations.

 

2. The flexibility to work from home easily adds an hour of time that I can spend with my daughter before she goes to daycare and after we pick her up. That time is so important - when your baby is at daycare all day, you cherish every minute you have with them in the mornings and evenings.

 

3. Don’t be afraid to communicate how you are handling the transition. There will be sleepless nights and hard days, but also exciting moments and milestones. Share them!

Mishea Clemons, Administrative Assistant III

1. McCormick Taylor is a true godsend for my self-care, especially during my pregnancy and postpartum. Being able to flex my time when needed due to day-to-day appointments is so appreciated. MT allows me to spend quality time with my baby girl during work hours, spend time with family, and take self-care time for myself when needed.

 

2. MT helps me be present for a lot of my daughter’s firsts, which is my highlight of working from home. I love that I can put her down for her afternoon naps, and still work (such a privilege). Also, being able to nurse my daughter during the day and flex my time from day to evening sometimes truly allows me to balance my personal and work life accordingly.

 

3. My advice is to consistently give yourself grace. Being a mom can be tough at times but always find peace in knowing you’re doing your best. I created an affirmations door of sticky notes with these reminders. One of my affirmations is, “I am doing my absolute best as Mishea and that’s all I can do”.

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Beth McDonald, Proposal Manager

1. During my 15 years here at MT, I’ve always felt supported and encouraged by my supervisors and my team to take advantage of my PTO and not miss any important milestones with my family. That support alone makes someone feel like they can achieve a healthy work-life balance. We also have a strong network of moms at MT, at all different stages of motherhood, and I personally get support and inspiration from those relationships.

 

2. Our hybrid schedule has been a huge factor in helping me spend more time with my family. Without having to commute every day of the work week, I have time to do school runs for my daughter (who started kindergarten this year) and there is more flexibility if you need to shift your schedule for an appointment or school event.

 

3. It can be hard to figure out the balance in the beginning, but it does get easier! I’d encourage them to talk with other moms here at MT too. And, as I’m often reminded, don’t miss out on any of the fun events or milestones because they are important!

 

Jess Wiggins, Senior Designer, Creative Services

1. McCormick Taylor has made it possible for me to separate work and life over my 15 years with the company. Most days, when I finish, I can seamlessly switch to family life and pursue other interests. This has been amazing for the everyday quality of life and is important for mental and physical health. It starts with the culture that is promoted here at MT - that is #1. MT has fostered a family-oriented, caring, transparent, employee-focused environment and consistently looks for ways to improve.

 

2. This company stands out for its flexible work options, which were in place prior to the pandemic. For the first ten years, I was a 40-hour employee. When I had my second child almost six years ago, I went to a 32-hour full-time employee and that has been life-changing as a working mother. The flexibility of working from home paired with the sensitivity to have flexible start and end times, plus a supportive team has really allowed me to spend more time with my children and watch them grow at every stage.

 

3. You can always make more money, but you can't get this time back with your children, so balancing work and life is essential to lessen mom guilt 😉 It feels great to get out of your comfies and into real work clothes again and head to the office! Create multiple team members that can do what you do and do it well so that you don't feel like you can't take a day off or everything will fall apart at work. Likewise at home!

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