Case Study

Following the birth of our third child, I started working reduced hours and remotely. There was no way I could leave my wife alone to take care of a newborn while we already have two rambunctious children at home. So, I talked to my company and arranged a work schedule that allows me to log off early in the evening and return home.

However, since I also had design work to handle, I used my PC during quiet times after returning home and even experienced teleworking. Working at home made it surprisingly hard to tell how time was passing, sometimes leading me to work late into the night. It was actually quite tough in many ways, but looking back, it was a surprisingly fun experience.

I had a rigid impression that reduced-working-hour arrangements were strictly fixed from this time to that time, but I am grateful that it was handled flexibly.

I took a rather long maternity leave of a year and a half until childcare settled down a bit. When I returned, I worked short hours for a while, but as my child gradually became more independent, I often found myself pushing as hard as I would with regular hours, and in June 2019 I returned to working regular hours.

I expressed my selfish desire to both watch my children grow and enjoy the fun of design progressing step-by-step toward completion, and they helped me set up an environment where I can work from home. Being able to work from home when my children catch a cold and need nursing care is a huge help in balancing childcare and work, and my motivation for both never drops.

Now, with an increasing number of female employees working in similar ways, fewer people are giving up their jobs due to having children.

I appreciate you helping me figure out a way to balance both my personal life and my work in a way that accommodates my personal life shift.