Everyday Inclusion with IOPC - Glyn Smith

• What is your job title and daily duties?

Facilities Coordinator: Facilitate the day to day running of the IOPC Birmingham Office

• What are your key skills?

Health and safety, customer service, procurement and contract management

• What are your qualifications?

NEBOSH; general certificate In Health and Safety, IWFM Level 3 In Facilities Management.

• Are you a parent? If so, are you a single parent?

 Parent to two children with partner.

• What career challenges have you faced?

Throughout my career it has generally been around development and progression. Companies had been unwilling to financially invest in their staff or been unwilling to progress individuals as it would upset the stability of teams. In relation to parenting and development opportunities here I have not experienced this in the IOPC , in fact the reverse is true, as I have had more development here than in the rest of my career.

• How does your company support you in your parenting role?

When the IOPC was in its former state it was at times difficult to balance the work and life. However since the transition to the IOPC flexible working arrangements and a more sympathetic attitude has released some pressures around the home/family life.

• What initiatives are in place at your company to support employees who have children?

Flexible working, unpaid time off for emergency leave, shared parental leave, adoption leave.

• What alternative initiatives would you find helpful?

I think we are pretty good, management in the IOPC are generally accommodating to the needs of me as a parent.

• Do you feel your parental responsibilities hold you back at all in your career?

Having children in school does limit the hours I can work unless I can afford the pre or post school childcare, however I feel that I have a good balance of work and life.

• Have you ever been discriminated against, either in the workplace or your personal life, because of being a working parent?

No.

• Were you to look for an alternative job would you tell the recruiter that you have children?

It would be an important part of my life I would tell them, and it would affect my acceptance of the role if they were not accommodating to my responsibilities.

• What would you say are the biggest workplace challenges for people with children?

Times of working, for women it’s the inequality of pay and promotion due to maternity leave and general childcare responsibilities. To me, there is a limitation on how hard and how long you can work for, which in other organisations, may affect you’re career development as well.

• How can companies support parents in the workplace?

Flexibility, I know that if I haven’t worked my full hours during the day or an important piece of work needs completing and I have picked up my child early for being ill, I would work the extra to make up the time. The employer has to also be understanding and generally supportive of the parent. Sometimes fellow colleagues also may have to understand that parents may have not had adequate sleep and may not be functioning as they should.

• Do you think there is enough awareness around the challenges presented by juggling work and parental duties?

No, unless you are a parent I don’t think awareness is that great to be honest, also parents of older children sometimes forget how tough points are at critical moments.

• In the past, have you told potential employers about your parental responsibilities and do you think this has affected you securing a job?

I have had my children whilst being in this role but I would highlight it to any potential employer

• How do you feel about diversity within the company?

I feel there could always be more diversity within an organisation, I feel the IOPC is very accommodating and inclusive to all staff that I have seen, there are various networks that support Individuals through their employment here

• Do you feel people from different groups and backgrounds are supported equally at work?

I feel the IOPC works hard to ensure all staff are treated as fair and inclusively as possible , I have not personally seen any inequality myself.

• Are you optimistic about diversity and inclusion within your company?

Most defiantly, I feel there is a culture that celebrates this.

• What benefits are there to having employees from different backgrounds in the same company?

There are huge benefits, different ideas, styles, viewpoints. It gives a critical edge to an organisation that can reflect the service users that interact with us. Having diversity means we continually improve and become a better organisation more focused on our goals .

• Would you say you have a good work/life balance?

Yes.

• Are there any drawbacks to being a working parent?

Yes a few, commitment to certain things has to be weighed with childcare responsibilities, sometimes the uncertainty of child welfare affects performance at work for me as I will worry about them.