For working parents, having to choose between quitting your job or leaving your baby with a caregiver can be a gut-wrenching decision. But what if the system was designed to work for the many mothers and fathers who choose to work full-time without giving up a major care-taking role? Patagonia, our frequent poster corporation for progressive business policies, has a 100% retention rate of new mothers, and it’s not a coincidence. It’s because they make their offices ideal for the working parent.
With on-site childcare and pro-parent policies, Patagonia allows parents to remain close and connected to their children during the day, while still being productive team members. And employees love it. One Patagonia recruiter writes, “That with a bit of creativity, and a whole lot of guts, companies can create a workplace where new mothers aren’t hiding in broom closets pumping milk, but rather visiting their babies for large doses of love and serotonin before returning to their work and kicking ass.”
