Why Async and remote work  is changing our families for the better

Celebrating May 15th, International Day of Families 

Today we celebrate the International Day of Families in a brave new world. 

Over the past few decades, the definition of family has changed; the concept has been reframed to be more inclusive of gender and sensitivities.

From mono parental families to same-sex families, from stepfamilies to grandparent families. Today “family” means different things and the concept is more diverse than ever, which leads us to pose a question, how does this correlate with the future of work?

Change is the only constant. 

The structure of work has changed, which directly influences how we build and interact with our families. 

Hybrid and remote work has become the norm for many of us. A few years back, async, remote and hybrid work terms were barely searched or discussed, as illustrated in this graph from Google Trends. 

While there have been digital nomads for quite a while, before 2020 it was rare to see a digital nomad family working remotely. Whereas at the time of this writing, there are almost 10 million search results associated with this topic. 

The future of work will likely change how we think about families as future parents will work in asynchronous, remote and hybrid organisations.

Today, it's no longer a matter of finding the right life balance but rather creating flexibility so a family can work out when and how sustainable productivity takes place. 

Another shift that is already taking place is a new paradigm in parental leave.

In its truest form, parental leave should be about giving parents the time and space they need to bond with their children and build a strong foundation for their family. Parental leave should be flexible, inclusive, and equally distributed among the parents. The future of work is family-friendly.

On this International Day of Families, let’s commit to creating workplaces that support families of all types. Let's build a future that is equal, flexible and inclusive. Let’s celebrate the diverse range of family structures. 

TimeXtender Point of View

We believe that people should be able to work when they can be more productive, while living their best possible life. Remote and Hybrid work is encouraged. Flexibility is the key that unlocks quality family time. 

We know that many challenges come with being a parent, but we also know that parenthood can be the most rewarding experience of a lifetime.

As a result, TimeXtender offers the Xpeople 6 months of paid parental leave, regardless of gender, or the means by which you become a parent. Anyone at TimeXtender who is in the fortunate situation of a family expansion can take parental leave. This applies to any employee globally.

In addition, work flexibility from remote and hybrid work approaches is the general rule, so that certainly helps balance parental and professional duties!

TimeXtender has fully embraced asynchronous work, which (surprise, surprise) creates several benefits, including more personal accountability, increases productivity and builds trust among team members, not to mention increases Time Zone equality (yes, that's a thing)

"But Juan, this is just a marketing piece, right?" 

Not really; I know this to be true for one specific reason. I'm about to become a father.

By the time you read this, I'll be on my way to paternity leave, 4 weeks before birth, so I can be with my wife and enjoy this magical phase of the pregnancy, and I can't describe with words how grateful I am to have the opportunity to do this. 

This is incredibly special, egalitarian and incredibly rewarding. 

This is all to say, that I have an incredible amount of respect for parents who didn't experience this level of flexibility while they were raising their children. I mean, you are true heroes!

Conclusion

Work is changing and with it, our ideas about what family “operations” look like.

For the first time in history, parents can work remotely, in hybrid organisations, or asynchronously. This offers unprecedented flexibility for families to find a way that works for them.

However, this change also requires a shift in how we think about work and parenting. We should reconsider time management as a crucial skill to allow for flexibility and life balance. No more “9 to 5” industrial era time schedule.

We also need to recognise that there is no one right way to do things and that different families will need different types of flexibility, which is linked to how we evaluate and think about our own values and purpose.

Today, let's celebrate families, let's celebrate our diversity. Let's work towards multiplying the time parents invest in future generations; let's make work meaningful, purposeful, healthier and more productive. 

Because time matters.

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