How we support fathers at McKinsey
Extended support for parents
When we first announced an increase in parental leave few years ago, Earl, an associate partner in Stamford, was expecting a child: “My wife was eight months pregnant. We were waiting for a subway when I saw the announcement about the extended parental leave come through email. We danced and high-fived right there at the Myrtle Ave/Broadway M stop.
Having the flexibility to take time as the primary caregiver for my son was incredible. I went from that intermittent character in the background who changed a few late-night diapers, to a reliable source of comfort, bottles, and plain old dad silliness. As a working parent in a dual-career couple, the flexibility McKinsey offers has been crucial to my ability to spend meaningful time with my growing family.”
For Puso, an engagement manager in Johannesburg, two months of paid parental leave were essential to “be fully present in the first couple of months during our transition into parenthood.” He also took advantage of our Take Time program offering two additional months which can be taken flexibly at any time in weekly increments. He shares “Take Time gave me the flexibility to take pockets of time off to spend time with my family or take on more responsibility with my daughter as my wife focuses on her career”.
Another colleague, Istvan, a Budapest-based solution associate partner, leveraged two-months of paternity leave in Central Europe to spend quality time with his family and recharge: “We’ve really connected as a family and spent a lot of time on unforgettable experiences, such as travelling through the Alps on a month-long road trip and hiking almost every day.” (pre-COVID)
On the other side of the globe, Tiago, an associate partner in Sao Paulo, shares, “It was amazing to take time and follow my daughter's first few weeks with my wife. I spent quality time with her and actively helped my wife postpartum, which is not an easy time for women. Being able to fully cherish these magical moments was something unspeakable and wonderful."
Robin, a partner in Miami, also interviewed by Tampa @NBC on paid paternity leave, highlights the importance of connecting with his family, especially with newborns who grow so quickly. In the interview, he shares: “The advice I would give is to look forward 10 years. What are you going to remember – two more weeks at work? Or would you remember two more weeks [with your new baby] that you’re never going to get back? They really are special times. I struggled with the idea of taking leave, but McKinsey is a team sport, and I’ve been both impressed and inspired by the way people have stepped up to cover me while I’m out. I think it’s something that can be great for the health of an organization”.
Fatherhood first
New challenges posed by the pandemic turned up other benefits, too. For Hassan, director of people functions in the Middle East, “The benefits outweighed the challenges. It was a wonderful opportunity to spend quality time with family, sitting together for three meals a day, catching up on all the details of life. I learned to be more efficient and organized in how I plan my weekdays and weekends to ensure I take care of my professional and personal responsibilities.”
Erik, an engagement manager in Mexico, acknowledges that being a working parent is not easy but parents can make it work by setting boundaries and accepting the support offered by the teams: “One would assume that with busy agendas and travel, being a parent at McKinsey is a challenge – and it’s true sometimes. What people don’t realize is the amount of support and empathy you get from colleagues. When you clearly communicate what your family means to you and the fact that, oftentimes, they will require your presence during office hours, balancing work and parenthood becomes less of a challenge. I’ve had two girls during my two years at McKinsey, and so far, I’ve been able to enjoy them to the fullest, sharing with them as much time as I can, while also keeping up with the McKinsey pace and clients’ needs.”
Once Kevin, a Dallas-based associate partner, became a father to twins, he made some changes to his typical work week schedule, optimizing it to work for his family. His advice is to “Be transparent about your needs and priorities.” At team kickoffs, when colleagues are encouraged to express their working and personal preferences, Kevin says that between 6:00 to 8:00, mornings and evenings, he’s most needed as a dad. “Further, if I have the opportunity to leave at 3pm on Friday for quality time with my kids, I might shift some work to Saturday to accommodate that. At project kick-offs, I tell people they might get emails from me on Saturday, but that’s just me juggling my schedule—it doesn’t mean I expect them to work over the weekend, too.”
Amadou, an associate in Casablanca, was positively surprised by McKinsey’s flexibility even before joining the firm. He shares: “My wife and I were expecting our first baby when I received an offer to join. I got several offers but McKinsey gave me the choice on when I wanted to join. I chose to postpone my start date by nine months to prepare myself to become a father. It was very valuable for my family and I felt secure with my role waiting for me.
Once I joined, I immediately felt a sense of empathy and a very special mindset at the firm. I admit there are project constraints which can’t be moved but colleagues here are extremely open and willing to accommodate your personal needs. This inclusive mindset helps modelling work around your life. On my projects I honestly share when I need to disconnect to put my son to bed every day. I also make sure to take breaks between projects to recharge and spend quality time with my wife and son. We love going out of the city to enjoy nature.”
Ninghang, Amsterdam-based data scientist, is a father to three daughters, Evelyn, Nina, and Melissa. He finds inspiration in them: “I love doing almost everything with them, from hiking in the mountains, to visiting museums, and playing Nintendo Switch. Their curiosity and eagerness to explore the world taught me to never stop learning at my work.
“As a father, I feel very supported by the firm. I got six weeks of paternity leave while the official government policy covers only two. It gave me one more precious month to stay close with my daughters and support my family in this amazing and challenging time. My team respects my personal situation. We agreed on meeting times that worked for me, and I blocked time for dinner with my kids and putting them to sleep. After that, I finished the rest of my work for the day, as needed.”
“During COVID, our office provided additional benefits of getting babysitters to support at home when kids could not attend school. It was a lifesaver for me as someone with three young kids at home! We received guidance on how to do homeschooling, including what kind of apps we could use for home education – my daughters really like Khan Academy Kids. There have been Slack groups and events to support and advise parents on how to best relate to family, partners, kids, and colleagues during this time. We received weekly pulse surveys checking on how we were feeling and if we need support. I once had a very stressful week and marked an unhappy face. Later that week, I got a call from our head of HR to check if was all okay.”
P.S. Check out a bonus story on why it’s best to be a McKinsey parent.