Elena is a trained pharmacist living in Eastern Slovakia. After the birth of her daughter who has Down syndrome, she stayed home for 20 years due to the unavailability of formal care for her daughter. Elena recently received a place in school where she can place her daughter for half a day. Elena hence started preparing for her return to work through participating in a mentorship and job coaching program for women called Women’s Algorithm. She successfully landed a job in a pharmacy, and her employer agreed with a half-time work arrangement. Elena is now able to combine the care for her daughter with working in her field of expertise. Her daughter gets to socialize with other young people, and the employer found a reliable worker to fill a vacancy.
“I will never forget and be forever grateful that my employer told me when my mom was dying and I needed to fly home immediately that ‘family comes first and we will cover you in your absence. Take the time you need’”.
“Without this I think I would not be able to manage full-time work and caring responsibilities.”
“Carer’s Leave is the poor relation of family leave policies.”
“I saw that there was a lot I could have done from home. But my application for a temporary teleworking position was rejected.”
“Teleworking makes this juggling act easier.”
“People often want to keep working, but they need flexibility.”
