A CEO's Letter to Employees Urges Them to Put Their Kids First

For many working parents, a work-life balance is an elusive and ever-shifting concept. Most of the time, pressure from fellow co-workers and bosses makes it almost impossible to juggle the two aspects of your life.

But Charity Delmo, the the founder and managing director of a company called Ideal Visa Consultancy, wants her employees to know if it comes down to choosing between work and family, “please choose them.”

In a now viral Facebook post, Delmo writes an open letter to employees, urging them to always make time for their families.

“I hired you in the hope that you can be a good provider to your family, not to take you away from them; to give you additional skills, not take your parental skills away from your kids; and to make you a better person, not just for the company, but all the more for your family,” she says.

“So when the time comes that you will have to choose between attending your sons’ and daughters’ school activities over a client’s needs, [or] if you have to choose between your wife’s or your husband’s needs over mine as your boss—please choose them.”

Delmo is aware her stance is pretty unconventional, but for her, family matters most.

“You see, not all employers will understand some of my principles in leadership, but I would rather close this company than see you miss your kids’ school activities because you have to be in a meeting, or see you get broken because of your unfixed misunderstanding with your husband or wife,” the boss says.

She wants employees who are happy with their work and family balance, as opposed to miserable workers who feel trapped by a paycheck.

“I have always believed that a person who’s happy at home is also happy at work. So, go home,” she urges. “Your work can wait. I can wait. Your family, the home that you built, once broken, will never be the same again. You will never be the same again.”

A supportive work environment is key for moms and dads. In fact, it’s the reason why almost all moms return to work at Patagonia after giving birth.