by Jason Groothousen
7. November 2011 04:42
On October 10th, I became a father for the first time. As any parent will tell you, this is a very stressful time and one in which you need the support of everyone around you. I started working at Parallel Employment Group on January 1st of this year, so I knew I would not qualify for FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act) benefits. This being the case, I wondered how management would react when I needed to leave early for doctor appointments and birthing classes. Being with the company for only a short time, I also worried about how much time I would be able to spend with my new addition when he arrived.
After having informed my employer of this life-changing event, I received something I did not necessarily expect from a company of this size and that was their full support. People I had never talked to before were sending me congratulations and wanted to know all the details about my future child I could provide. The management team assured me they would work around whatever appointments I had and allow me the ability to leave early and make up time during the same pay-period. It was such a welcome view from a company I had only been with a few months and what came next surprised me even more.
About two weeks before my wife was due, one the managers asked if my wife could come in for lunch because they had a surprise for us. She was able to come in and when we walked into the conference room, there were decorations, food, and a plethora of presents. It was great, the corporate team came to wish us well and talk with my wife about the pregnancy. We all ate pizza and my wife opened the gifts with everyone giving us advice and letting us know how great it was going to be when our son arrived.
When Tyler Three Groothousen was born, I received text and emails of congratulations from the entire company. In regards to the time off, management let me know I could take off any days that I needed to ensure the transition from hospital to home was smooth. I took a few extra days to ensure my wife and son were adjusting well and when I came back to the office, everyone I worked with was very welcoming. Before I was even able to get back to my growing workload, my co-workers wanted to know all about the baby, and to see any pictures I had of him.
This has taught me that companies can be flexible when it comes to work/life balance and can make a difference in the lives of employees well beyond just providing a paycheck. The entire experience is one I will never forget and I am so grateful to have the support of everyone at Parallel Employment Group.
In closing, I would just like to say Thank You to everyone at my company, and that I will definitely keep you all updated on any other life-changing events in the future.
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Tags:
Employment
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Jason Groothousen
Corporate Trainer, Parallel Employment Group
Jason has been with Parallel for over a year. He visits each office and meets all new employees to ensure their on-boarding experience is positive. His major focus is customer service and helping everyone “Pump It Up” each day.
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