Similarly, Dr Tom Parks, Clinical Senior Lecturer in the Department of Infectious Disease, speaks about his experience with flexible working. This approach to work-life balance initially started during Tom's tenure as a doctor with the NHS after welcoming his first-born son and taking shared parental leave. On taking parental leave he says: “At the time it was relatively unusual to take, as a father, a month away from clinical training and do that.” This didn’t deter Tom who took leave again with his youngest and extending it by a couple of weeks.  

It was at the NHS that Tom began to also work at an 80 per cent full-time equivalent work arrangement, a flexible model which transitioned with him to his current role at Imperial. "My wife and I work at 80 per cent, and so the kids have a day each with us at the end of the week." This deliberate scheduling has allowed Tom to be more present in his children's lives. He emphasised, "I'm around a lot more than I would otherwise have been if I wasn't working at 80 per cent capacity. It's been extremely valuable to have the opportunity to do that and to be able to be around that extra day."  

This has also had a profound impact on his work-life balance. "I think academics and clinical academics tend to work a lot of hours. Most often, the hours of work they do is more than what they are paid to do. If I’m not on site one [due to being at home with the kids] of those days, my work is contained, and it means I work closer to 100% as opposed to 150%.

Fast forward to 2018, it was around this time that Matthew Ryan, Divisional Manager in the Department of Surgery and Cancer, also began to explore the option of taking shared parental leave. For Matt, the road to fatherhood was challenging as he and his partner underwent IVF treatment to welcome their rainbow baby, Ted, into the world.

For those who may not be familiar, a 'Rainbow baby' refers to a child born to parents following a previous pregnancy loss.

Opening up about the decision to take parental leave, Matt said: "For me, parenting isn’t a switch that you can ‘turn on’ when a child becomes a particular age. I think that relationship has to be built from the start, and I wanted to be fully involved from the very beginning.” The difficulties of Matt and his wife’s pregnancy journey made Ted's arrival very special, solidifying Matt's commitment to being an active and present parent the moment he was born. 

Helen Johnson, Communications and Marketing Manager for the National Heart and Lung Institute, had a unique journey into parenthood that reflects the intentional planning that some diverse families undertake. Helen and her partner Aimee approached the decision to become parents with meticulous consideration.  

Discussing their approach to parental leave, Helen emphasises the importance of equality in her relationship: "We like to do things as equally as we can, and we knew from the start Aimee definitely wanted to have time with Leo [their son]." Recognising the significance of both parents being involved, Helen and Aimee decided to take turns, ensuring that neither became the sole primary caregiver. This intentional approach not only strengthened their bond with their child but also laid the foundation for a smooth transition back to work. Helen shared: "Taking turns worked really well for us, and it made me enjoy coming back to work when I did." The deliberate planning and shared responsibilities allowed both partners to be actively present in their child's early stages and according to Helen has fostered a strong family dynamic.

Michelle also decided to split her parental leave with her husband, Kyle. After 6 months, he took shared parental leave for 3 months while Michelle went back to work. Having this flexibility meant they didn't have to put their daughters into nursery straight away. This option also gave Michelle the chance to return to the lab after 6 months to mentor her students and postdocs without feeling as guilty about leaving her children. 

Matt, Helen, and Anthony all underline the profound long-term rewards associated with embracing parental leave, emphasising the unparalleled opportunity it provides to cultivate a deep, meaningful connection with their children during their formative years.  

Matt eloquently expresses the impact of parental leave on his parenting skills: "I think I’m a much better dad than I would have been, because I’ve had the time to understand all the different things involved in having and raising a child." He emphasised the empowerment that comes with familiarity, noting, "If one of them isn’t happy, not feeling well or struggling to cope, I’ve got several different solutions that I can try myself, and that's really empowering. It makes me feel connected to them rather than feeling powerless."  

Helen echoes this sentiment: "We've [Helen and her partner Aimee] both individually formed memories that we’ll always have. Alongside those experiences, we’ve both formed ways of engaging with him, which is really valuable going forward because we’re both really confident with doing anything with him."   

For Anthony, the impact of shared parental leave transcended just having personal time off. He recognises its role as an equaliser within his family dynamic: "It almost acted as an equalizer because we [Anthony and his wife] were both able to go back to work and get paid". He also noted that “Parental leave was useful in setting the tone and expectations of what my partner and I were going to do in terms of work-life balance.” Parental leave, in Anthony's view, became an investment in shared responsibilities and strengthened family bonds.  

"I’m indebted to Imperial, and I’ve got a real desire to kind of ‘pay them back’ for the support they’ve given me.”      

- Dr Anthony Laverty -

All of these perspectives underscore the transformative impact of parental leave, not only on individual parenting skills but also on the collective strength and resilience of the familial unit. Reflecting on this benefit further, Matt says that the flexibility that family-friendly policies at Imperial have given him, a greater sense of loyalty and engagement with the University. “I can’t think of a bigger reward than being happy in my job and at home. I’m grateful to be at Imperial; I try super hard at my job, but I do that partly because the University has provided a nurturing environment for me to flourish. I’m indebted to Imperial, and I’ve got a real desire to kind of ‘pay them back’ for the support they’ve given me.”      

Dr Chioma Izzi-Engbeaya, a Clinical Academic and Consultant Endocrinologist, echoed these same sentiments, emphasising the need for open communication within the team. "You need to have really good communication with your manager and other members of your team as having individuals have different working hours may raise questions.”  

Chioma's secret to balancing her roles as an academic in the Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, an NHS consultant, wife, and mother lies in her meticulous organisation. She reveals that successfully juggling multiple roles is achievable “If I follow a different working pattern compared to other people,” highlighting the significance of flexible working patterns and strategic planning for professional and personal harmony. Chioma shared that for her, Imperial has been incredibly helpful in providing her with the flexibility she needs to be present for the drop off and pick up of her children.

In order to successfully navigate the tension of being a working parent, Michelle Percharde highlights the importance of seeking support and friendship from those who understand the  balance between career aspirations and responsibilities. "Find mentors and peers going through the same thing. It's really empowering hearing from other people that you have permission to be flexible with your work schedule where you need to be, and that it is still possible to succeed.”   

For Yoyo, mentorship looked like getting plugged into a supportive haven at Imperial in the form of the Parents and Bumps network to gain support and guidance. According to Yoyo, “It wasn't just a "safe space," but a vibrant community where she could "chat to different parents over coffee about their experiences as well as moan about the difficulties of parenthood.”  

Recognising the time-intensive nature of both professional and parental responsibilities, Chioma emphasises the importance of carving out time for personal interests and self-care amidst the many demands of being a working parent. "If something's important to you, you will make time for it." For Chioma, this looks like taking time out to spend time with her family and loved ones. “The key to finding balance at work and home is to take a step back from certain responsibilities whether temporarily or permanently, to create space to pursue interests and goals that refresh you”, she says.