As ‘work time’ and ‘home time’ are harder to distinguish than ever for parents working remotely during the pandemic, and thus stress levels reach an all-time high, the leaders at NextRoll know the importance of providing and promoting flexibility for employees – or Rollers – around the world.

In honor of Father’s Day, we spoke with some NextRoll dads about how they’re balancing work life and family time and asked how NextRoll supports them as working parents – even during the most normal of times. 

How do you balance working/parenting, and what advice do you have for working dads?

Tannin Pease [TP]: The whole reason I wake up and ‘go to’ work every day is to provide for my family and give them a better life. Knowing that has helped, when I get lost in the weeds of various tasks, pull me out and refocus. The best advice I can give to working dads would be to reflect often on your ‘why’ and let it help guide your priorities.

Skyller Whitney [SW]: What’s most important is being on the same page as your spouse and setting boundaries, so you can find balance and stay productive at work. At the end of the day, having kids is so much more important than anything else. If I didn’t have my kids, I wouldn’t have the drivers and reasons to exceed my goals.

Graham Byrne [GH]: We have a five-year-old and a six-month-old, so it can be quite challenging at times. Prior planning is key, being regimented with my calendar and making time to add in personal commitments throughout the day and week on top of my professional commitments. I have a calendar slot two days a week, where I allocate time to walk my little boy to school and pick him up that afternoon. I work my professional meetings around those slots to accommodate, and it works perfectly well. 

Wilson Lau [WL]: As we’re all quarantined at home, it’s important to take breaks and take breaks together with the children when possible. Weaving in some family time during the work days is not only beneficial to my kid’s and my mental wellness, it also has a positive effect on my productivity.  

How does NextRoll’s paternity leave policy compare to companies you’ve worked at in the past?

[GH]: NextRoll goes out of the way to accommodate parental leave. We receive three months of paternity leave, which I am extremely grateful for and that it can be taken at your own accord, either all together or broken out over stages. For me, working in a sales management role, this flexibility is perfect. It allows me to utilise separate blocks of time to spend with my family, while also still maintaining momentum across the teams that I manage. 

[TP]: It’s amazing. I have five kids, and I have seen my fair share of paternity policies – or lack thereof. NextRoll’s policy not only takes the cake as far as the length of time to spend with my family, but it was easier to apply for and use. And I felt encouraged to use it. At previous companies, I felt like I was abusing my privileges when I took any time off for my family. NextRoll made me feel comfortable and helped me focus on what I needed to focus on, my family.

[SW]: Before NextRoll, I never had the ability to take paternity leave. When my first child was born, I was back at a commission-only sales job just two days after the baby was born. Now at NextRoll, and after the birth of my third child, it was a totally different experience. I got to take paternity leave right away, and I only received messages from my manager when he checked in on how I was doing. I was really able to step away, and I felt very supported. 

How does NextRoll provide you flexibility, as a working parent?

[WL]: As the pandemic worsened and we all started working/studying from home last year, work-life balance suddenly became a hot topic. While some companies tried to micromanage remote workers, I felt very trusted and supported to manage my work schedule as a working parent at NextRoll. Especially during last summer, while school and summer camps were closed, I had the flexibility to take a two-hour long break, 2-3 times a week, in July to spend time with my kid. That (hopefully) made his summer a little better, given the circumstances. 

[TP]: NextRoll gives me the flexibility to be a dad AND an employee, and doesn’t make me choose between the two. This has been especially important over the last year while working from home. I have plenty of options if I need to take a break from work and focus on the kids, which makes for a happier home when I log off for the day.

[SW]: NextRoll does a good job at being understanding. When I took a half day off to take my daughter to the emergency room, I didn’t feel like my manager was breathing down my throat. If you work hard and hit your goals, you have flexibility and can find a good work/life balance.

[GH]: Family first is very much the philosophy and culture within NextRoll, and it’s very much authentic and exercised consistently. If ever there is an impromptu doctor’s appointment or dental check-up for one of my children, my colleagues are always so accommodating in terms of adjusting meeting times around this and there is never any issues or push back.

How are you planning to spend this upcoming Father’s Day?

[SW]: My wife bought me a pellet grill for Father’s Day this year, so I’m hoping to be smoking/grilling some amazing meats most of the day. Plus I will probably go fly fishing that morning.

[TP]: I hope it is a very lazy day full of steak and water fights.

[GH]: A big family dinner at my wife’s parents’ home and then back to our home later that evening. Hopefully, I will open a present or two myself from my children. Usually, my little boy is more excited to give me a present than to receive one himself. I always adore seeing the excitement in his eyes, as I unwrap his gift. 

[WL]: I don’t know yet. It may be a surprise, or we’ll just have a chill, relaxing day. 

We’re hiring at NextRoll, and would love more super dads to join our team! Check out our latest career openings.