Innholdsfortegnelse for June/July 2018 i Working Mother

“These were so comfy in my ear, and the bling is super fun.”—Cara Reynoso, Working Mother’s Creative Director…

Companies on Working Mother’s 2018 25 Best Companies for Multicultural Women list have more women of color in the workforce and senior positions than national averages. Their progress is noteworthy, but it isn’t good enough. What can we learn from the best practices they use to find, retain and promote women of color? How do diversity experts advocate they break the logjam? There are some differences in which initiatives are most effective for which groups of multicultural women. We know this because for the first time in its 16-year history, the survey asked companies for data by Census Bureau categories of race/ethnicity. In the future, we hope to cover multicultural women by racial/ethnic groups in more detail. Here we chose to discuss the three largest groups—Hispanic, African-American and Asian. The…

Timoria McQueen Saba can’t predict what will take her back to the hospital room where she nearly died after delivering her oldest daughter. It could be the sound of something beeping or glimpsing a hospital gown—fragments of memories from the five days she spent recovering from a postpartum hemorrhage. The harrowing aftermath took an immediate toll on her career. The former New York City makeup artist, who had worked on shoots with Candace Bushnell and Angie Harmon, was afraid to leave her home. She began having full-blown panic attacks on the subway. Often they would strike with no warning, leaving her confused and scared. On the suggestion of her OB-GYN, she visited a therapist, who confirmed she was suffering from PTSD. Unable at first to find other moms who experienced…

Q My mother-in-law agreed to watch my baby when I went back to work after maternity leave, but two weeks in, she said it’s too much for her, and she won’t be able to do it anymore. There are no daycare spots for a few months, and we can’t afford a nanny in the meantime. Is quitting my job my only option? How am I supposed to ever forgive my MIL for doing this to us? A While your situation seems dire, becoming a stay-at-home mom isn’t your only choice. You just might need to think outside the childcare box until there’s a daycare vacancy. Florence Ann Romano, a former nanny and author of Nanny and Me, recommends looking into nanny shares, in which a single nanny looks after multiple…

“My co-worker is also my wife—and I worry I’m not pulling my weight at home or at work.” Serafina Palandech and Jen Johnson aren’t your usual co-workers. For starters, they’ve been married to each other for nine years, and they have a 7-year-old daughter, Rubyrose. They’re also proud co-owners of six goats, five cats, three dogs, two horses, two donkeys, two pigs, one baby cow and countless chickens—and a fast-growing business, Hip Chick Farms. Serafina serves as CEO of the line of humanely raised chicken fingers and other kid-friendly foods (now in 5,000 stores), while Jen, a chef who trained under Alice Waters, creates the brand’s products and oversees a new restaurant—a chicken-finger tasting room, of course. If it seems a little too seamless, Serafina and Jen will be the…

“Decorist gave me great ideas for colors to use in my master bedroom, which I hadn’t done anything with since we moved into this home. My designer was open to my input. Plus, it was incredibly easy, convenient and user-friendly—a great service to me, a mom to 4-year-old twins. Still, being able to see the items in person before purchasing works better for me. I probably will buy only a few items they suggested.” —Cortney Worrell, social worker, Denver Decorist decorist.com Cost: $299 to $1,299 per room, depending on the level of designer chosen “Consulting with somebody who knew what she was doing confirmed my suspicions about my open floorplan—the few configurations I’d considered were my only options. And when I wasn’t crazy about a suggestion she made, she never…

Rosa Bravo Business Development Director, Accenture National Co-Lead, Hispanic-American ERG “Foster an environment of inclusion for each other.” Her Story: When her son was 6 weeks old, this single mom with an aerospace engineering background started a new career in technology at Andersen Consulting, which eventually became Accenture. As the first person in her family to attend college, and a Latina in a white male-dominated field, she found that joining industry groups was key to learning and building connections. Twelve years ago, she attended a conference sponsored by the Hispanic-American ERG, and was “blown away” by the talent and leadership. “It was an important moment for me. I began to discover what my roots really are,” she recalls. Her family was from Ecuador, but she grew up in Los Angeles…

Is it any wonder working moms feel like they’re slogging through their days? A full two-thirds are sleeping no more than six hours a night, according to a joint survey of 1,400 working moms by Working Mother and Whitney Roban, Ph.D., a family sleep specialist and consultant. And it’s not six hours of uninterrupted z’s, either: Three-quarters of women are woken at least once every night by their kids. The busy moms who follow prove you can take back your nights. Some are lucky enough to work at places with perks and programs to help their employees get much-needed rest. Others took matters into their own hands. SHE TOOK NAPS AT WORK Molly Beare, PR communications adviser; mom of a 6- and a 1-year-old, Henderson, NV The problem: Molly’s shift…

In its 16th year, we have, for the first time, examined demographic categories by specific races/ethnicities—African-American, Hispanic, Asian-American, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Native American/Alaska Native, and two or more races. This helps pinpoint where companies have the most success and opportunities in hiring and promoting multicultural women. The 25 companies on this list have increasingly trained their recruiters, hiring managers, HR departments, and executives to understand bias and make their workplaces inclusive. One company, IBM, has made this list every year.…

We all know that systemic health inequities exist because of socioeconomic disparities. But did you know that they also exist and impact multicultural communities disproportionately? I mean, even the wealthy members in the African-American, Hispanic, Asian, South Asian and Native American groups? Early in my first pregnancy over 30 years ago, Jim and I were an eager couple experiencing each milestone with wonderment and joy. Both my parents and his were going to be grandparents for the first time, and you can only imagine the excitement in the family. An early test in the third or fourth month of pregnancy is called the Alpha-fetoprotein test. A negative or normal test usually means the baby is healthy. A positive test with a high AFP could suggest a birth defect like spina…

WOODLOCH RESORT Hawley, PA woodloch.com The deal: Starting at $148 per adult, per night, for a visit in October, a stay at this 1,200-acre resort in the Pocono Mountains comes with a rustic or contemporary room, a daily-changing menu with kid-friendly options, and a choice of dozens of outdoor activities. Why we love it: It’s impossible to be bored here. There’s water-skiing, kayaking, sailing, swimming and hiking during summer, and snow tubing, snowshoeing and ice skating during winter. Mealtime serves up family bonding, with food presented on platters, meant to be passed around the table. This year, the resort unveiled a 9,000-square-foot open-year-round ice rink, a junior go-kart track for guests 48 to 58 inches tall, two escape rooms, and a Broadway-style show featuring themed acts such as Mardi Gras…