Work-at-Home Tips for Parents

If you have small children, it’s much harder to work from home. It just is.

But here are a few ideas from Hawaii Business Magazine’s “The Careerist” columnist Kathryn Drury Wagner, who has been there and done that for seven years:

  1. Time trade with your partner.

    Every hour have one parent “on duty,” to play, home-school, prep lunch, etc. while the other focuses on work. Then switch. No, you will not get as much done as you want to, but you will at least get something done and it’s equitable.

  2. Feed the Meter

    I once heard a parenting expert say you need to “feed the meter” with kids. The idea is, put some time upfront doing what they want to do, then move on to what you need to do.

  3. Extra Screen Time is OK

    Don’t feel bad if kids need extra screen time while you do something important, like join a remote meeting. As soon as you’re done, you can get back to being more accessible and get them going on a craft project or take them outside.

 


 

Small Biz HR: When should you hire a professional?

Many new business owners also serve as the Human Resources Manager. Research has shown that around the 10th employee, owners begin to realize they need to bring in help. If you have been considering hiring or outsourcing here are some questions to ask yourself:

  • Is my time better spent making money or saving money?
  • Do I plan to grow? Do I have a strategy for that growth?
  • Do I have confidence in my compliance with employment laws and government regulations?

Ready to hire an HR pro? Go where the market is. SHRM Hawaii’s website gives you access to 700 professionals in our community and job posts are sent to every member. 

 

To learn more about the role of human resource management professionals and how to improve HR competency, go to www.shrmhawaii.org.

Categories: Human Resources, Partner Content