Manager lists out what she does and doesn’t care about employees — and it's a must-read for every boss

Work-life balance is important, but how often do we see workers achieving that? Most employees work around the clock throughout the weekend, sometimes even beyond official hours. Tension escalates when seniors lack empathy, even in situations where employees need to prioritize their personal lives. However, Megan Witherspoon, VP of Communications and a mother of two, is different. Her LinkedIn post explaining why companies must identify workers' personal concerns at home is something every boss should understand. You can check out the post here!

"I DO care that your daughter is home with yet another ear infection. I DO NOT care that you’ll be offline for 2 hours this afternoon for her doctor’s appointment," Witherspoon said, explaining why she lets her colleagues, sometimes, prioritize their personal lives over professional commitments. Next, she said, she doesn't care if her colleague needs to work asynchronously, because she would understand that they need to spend time with their ailing mom, juggling between personal and professional worlds.

"I DO care that a bus driver shortage means you don’t have reliable transportation for your son. I DO NOT care if you need to get back to me in an hour after picking him up from school," she added. Working continuously without a proper break can be frustrating, and hence Witherspoon said, "I DO care that you haven’t taken your vacation time, because I know you need a break. I DO NOT care if that means asking for help so you can disconnect without missing a deadline."

Moving on, Witherspoon concluded, saying she cares more about her colleagues and things that matter to them. "I DO care that you deliver quality work and perform at your best. I DO NOT care when, where, or how you get your work done," she added. Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, 'Work from home' has become the new normal. Many companies have been operating remotely, but are remote jobs actually easy?

Research done on a 16,000-employee NASDAQ-listed Chinese travel agency found that remote working led to a 13% performance increase, but 9% of that happened because people were working longer than usual by sacrificing breaks and sick leave. So whether it's working from home or working from the office, employees are expected to deliver outstanding results, and so it's also important for their seniors to provide them with the healthy environment they need to achieve that.

"I would advise companies and leaders to go as far as they realistically can with providing flexibility to their employees. Flexibility isn’t a sacrifice — it actually makes great business sense. And employee expectations have changed, and they’re willing to vote with their feet," Witherspoon shared with BoredPanda.

Reacting to Witherspoon's post, John Kessler commented, "I agree with this approach. The key is to ensure performance doesn’t lack or employees don’t take advantage! However, when done correctly, it can have a profound impact on employee satisfaction and retention. Great post!" Similarly, a person, Otasha S., said, "I believe this is a lesson that many in leadership roles had to learn by being directly affected by these situations head-on."

Echoing the sentiments, Mike Hinshaw wrote, "I always made sure any company that hired me was aware that if one of my sons had a school function, athletic sports event, or award ceremony, I would be attending in my initial interview. I followed up with them, but I would always work around their schedule to get the job done. I told everyone that people were our greatest asset and never to counsel or humiliate them in public.

After roughly 180 days, my turnover numbers were near the top, if not the best. I wasn't a manager who loved sitting behind a desk and was always in the stores helping out, but I would also stock shelves and coolers and clean restrooms if necessary. I knew their children's and partners' names in most cases. Regardless of the logo, profits were usually above average. A good manager has to be in the field, listening to their employees and solving their problems! Great share, young lady!"

You can follow Megan Witherspoon on LinkedIn for more corporate-related updates.