Does anyone care about moms in advertising? Serious question. Should it be okay for moms to pull a month of insane hours and weekends?Was going to post in the mom bowl but want to hear from everyone.

likesmart
Posting as :
works at
You are currently posting as works at
Highlighted IconHIGHLIGHTED

I don’t. Not more than anyone else.

As a single person without kids, I find it incredibly annoying that people with families are treated as if their time is more valuable than mine. It’s not.

Nobody should have to pull a month of insane hours and weekends. Not moms, not dad, not juniors, not seniors, not anybody. But as long as we do have to do those things, you do too.

likesmartfunny

I’m a mom of a little one and while I’ve been fortunate in some ways, it’s always a challenge, I’ve taken hits financially and otherwise, have lost time with her and fought for it. Parenthood is like the mafia: you can read about it and see movies, but you don’t know what it’s really like until your in it. And while i appreciate the “what about dads” talk, it’s harder for a working mom than dad. Period. But in the end, people are making hard choices every day, in our industry and beyond. Women are judged harshly for our choices and expected to adapt and feel lucky for any chance we get. Will the industry change? Likely no. Will society? Here’s hoping. Will it be different for my daughter? I’m doing all I can to make it so.

likeupliftingfunny

Husband leaves early for kids, his bosses swoon (all female, but his male bosses never cared.) I leave early to get the kids, and it’s “okay but you’ll get this done for tomorrow right?"

like
Recent IconRecent

It’s yes and no. They want to care. They strive to care. But at the end of the day moms will always sacrifice some physical presence time and be judged for it. But the entire system is broken. Sharing responsibility with our husbands is hard because it’s still presumed to be a moms job at the end of the day with sick days, and unofficial holidays. Fathers don’t get the same level of understanding for that time off normally. We all end up suffering in the end for that inequality

likesmart

I'm a dad, I'm an advertising exec on my day job, I do the laundry, I cook for my family, I'm the family driver, handyman, and tech support. I don't see anyone give me some slack.

like

Unless you mean slack in the form of cash money, otherwise known as the “fatherhood bonus” Love you Dad, we’re on the same team, admire your work, but do ur research please.

like

I think everyone deserves balance. But please don’t make this kids vs no-kids. Everyone should be entitled to their personal time regardless if they have offspring or not

like

Can we look back to our childhood?

My mother worked my entire childhood. I cannot thank her enough for taking care of our entire family. My father was sick and she was able to support all of us without complaining. I’d give anything to give my mother the time off she deserved back then while she was young.

Everyone has their own struggles but it’s important everyone is mindful that children need their parents and advertising isn’t rocket science or civil engineering or anything that’s going to save billions of lives.

Parents should be allowed to spend their weekends and evenings with their children. They should be allowed to leave early and people in this industry need to have some god damn sympathy for their teammates.

likeuplifting

Why just moms? Not ok for moms but ok for dads?

likeuplifting

Because she's asking about moms. Go write your own post about dads.

likeuplifting

I brought my older children in to the office (they had off & my husband was out of town). They quietly read, watched YouTube with headsets on their tablets in a conf room. My boss was not in that day. Boss told me weeks later that “this is not a relaxed work environment where you can bring you kids in”. I’m updating my resume.
I’m a mom first.

like

Things have definitely changed. My dad would bring me in back in the 80s (copywriter) and people loved it. Granted he also had an actual office but they’d park me in, would get to use his partners fancy markers & people would stop by to visit. Granted he still works crazy hours & those hours are probably only possible cause my mom didn’t have an office job but back then there was no judgment around bringing your kids in

like

I’m not a mom (yet), but it’s always broken my heart that we are supposed to have so much “flexibility” yet we’ve lost a lot of great women because they don’t allow them to be very flexible once they start having babies..really disappointing

likesmart

I do. I also think this system of expecting people to work 7 day’s a week is broken. I went client side to move away from agency culture.

like

Dittto

like

Why should moms get to pass their burden onto everyone else? There are plenty of agencies that aren’t grinders. Go work at one of them.

likefunny

I was fortunate enough to be able to take a break. Had my daughter, came back when she was three. The break cost me time, title, and money but I wouldn’t have done it any differently. I work full time at a very supportive agency now but it is still hard and feels like I am constantly juggling. Add to that helping out colleagues that are pregnant, on maternity leave, or have a little one. The deadlines and the work do not go away. You just make it work as a team for your families. Agency or not, being a parent within today’s working environment with all this connectivity is challenging. The hope is that humans will help humankind.

like

Mom here - I don't think it's healthy for ANYBODY regardless of their age or life stage status to work insane amounts of hours. We should all be striving to do a better job of making work-life balance happen. And that starts with ourselves...by creating boundaries and still delivering excellently.

A former colleague and mentor gave me some great advice recently in my request for, "how do I say 'no' in a nicer way when there are so many things to do, and so many people who desire my time?" He said, "Of course you cannot do it all, but you can both communicate your desire to help and lack of time by saying, "That sounds great! Although, I'm not available at this time."

like

I agree with both points. We’re not getting paid a crazy amount and not doing anything groundbreaking so do I need to, for instance, decide whether to stay late because of unreasonable deadlines, or go to, for instance a talk on fertility?! Same with having children. Some things have an unmovable expiration date on them while others simply fill the coiffures of the select few who own stock in our country. Is my physical & mental health worth sacrificing because some agency exec set up unreasonable deadlines?

likesmart

I care. It’s not Ok. You deserve balance - is it possible to go back and log the hours/weekends worked? Perhaps you can negotiate to take a month off in December between holidays to compensate for the business you’re overworked for now.

like

I have several kids and work but I leave when I need to and work when I can squeeze outside of normal hours. I don’t think the office will give you an invitation but I advise to walk out when you need to, it’s about you taking control. If your good they will deal with it

like

I don’t miss anything at school and I’m home for dinner between 6-7pm. If I have to log on after they are in bed. I don’t work on weekends unless absolutely necessary and that’s rare. I agree on leave when you need to. Family comes first. Agencies and corporations do not care about you, will replace you in a blink or snap but family is important. You only get one chance raising your kids!

like

“Whether that’s for kids or yoga” 🤣😭😩

likefunny

Meh. My point is simply everyone is fair game and equal. I dont believe anyone should have special treatment. Thats all im saying. Where u work and how u live are choices. Its about being fair to ur coworkers. Everyone plays by the same rules. Lots of jobs with less demands.

like

You’ve never heard anyone complain about the amount of hours and time our jobs demand of us, to the extent they take away from our lives outside of work?

Well then your lucky, because where I’ve worked that’s often been a problem. I’m not saying it’s just an advertising thing, a lot of jobs (generally non unionized ones) have this problem. But whether it’s keeping moms and dads away from their kids, or people (often early career) being expected to work extreme amounts of overtime it all sucks.

Maybe you’ve only worked at places that make setting boundaries (and having those boundaries respected) easy, but I think you have to be pretty naive to think the advertising industry doesn’t have a problem with a culture of overwork.

like

🙄 and specifically what additional "allowances" do you think dads are getting?

likefunny

And you are very nonspecific about them.

like

Frankly I don’t care if you’re a mom or a dad or single. The work is the work and the job is the job.

Having said that, it’s up to you to balance your work life with your personal life and push back and set boundaries. Whether that’s for kids or yoga or school or sports or just not working too many hours.

likefunny

Stop w this kids bullshit. If thats ur biological role. Go. Then male biological role is to hunt and for u to go care for the child. Bye

likefunny

Replace the word moms with women. Or men. Or gays. Or millennials. Or any number of categorical names that specialize humans. How does your question sound now? Instead of blaming the industry you chose to work in, maybe it’s time you re-evaluate what’s expected of you at your current place of work. There are plenty of other agencies that are ghost towns come 5 pm. Nobody is forcing you to work these hours. You have chosen your situation. You have chosen your priorities. Take responsibility and ask what is most important to you. But here’s the kicker: there is no right answer for everyone. Only the answer that’s right for you. And only you can decide what is right

likesmartfunny

Actually a lot of people care about women in this industry. We have whole conferences about the topic. And POC and other unrepresented groups. Caring about one underrepresented group does not preclude you from caring about other represented groups. I care about climate change. I care about poverty. See? Now you try.

like

As someone said above, it’s a choice, and sometimes the best choice is to get the hell out
and freelance.

like

Related Posts

When was the last time you wore dress shoes?

likehelpful
likeuplifting
like
like

Ramadan Mubarak, everyone! Hope you've got some plans for all the lunch money you'll save 😂

like

My superintendent doesn't have any professional development for me and I'm really hungry for growth but I don't have any room in my school budget for me to do anything else either. Any suggestions?

like

How important is having a “name brand” on your resume? For context, undergrad at a top 10 non ivy that typically gets less name recognition and work experience at a T2 (LEK, P-EY, Kearney, etc). Feeling like my resume has a lot of silver but not gold. Thinking about switching jobs 2 years into consulting to either startup or small tech company (don’t want to be at FANG). Will adcoms / future job interviewers view this as a downgrade?

likefunny

Since when did free snacks become the most important office perk?

likefunny

Does anyone have tips for social anxiety at work? I’ve just moved to a new office in a new city - it feels cliquey and is giving me anxiety I haven’t felt since high school. I’ve been feeling so stressed that I’m just working from home, which can’t be helping me make friends / meet new people.

like

As everyone shelters in place, small firms need solid copywriting services to keep their websites fresh. I specialize in working with small firms. You worry about your work, I’ll worry about the words

like

How much Infosys will pay while working in UK, can we negotiate for a higher pay?Infosys

like

Sorry, a visa question: Do you know if the H4 EAD process is confirmed to shut down? My lawyer at PwC said that it’s 100% confirmed by USCIS that it will be shut down soon.

like

Any leads for referral in Myntra, Oracle , Walmart for data scientist position? Please help.

like

I am Praveenkrishnan from BE-Computer Science and Engineering 2019 passed out , I'm looking for a job opening and I'm open to work. I have aggregated my software testing course at Qspider in Bengaluru Karnataka India.

like

Any 1 page resume template recommendations?

like

Thank god mykenna is gone

like

Anyone working in Spain here?

like

I got an offer that’s seems too good to be true! Now I’m having second thoughts that I’m not ready? I think I’m just being too self critical?! Did I sell myself more than I should have and am I good enough to deserve this? 😳😳

like

Hello Fishes,
I have been offered Lead Software Developer G140 in IQVIA. How many years of experience needed for that role? How were the hikes in IQVIA for BI Tool projects last year/ this year? were there any firing in Pandemic?
And how is the flexibility in terms of changing technology/project. Current project work does not seem to be much challenging so can I ask for project change within a few months of joining if I find the work mundane?
Please help.

like

Additional Posts in Advertising

Got laid off a week ago and have been slow to get back on the hunt. I feel so demoralized and depressed. This is the worst season to be unemployed. I can’t seem to get a fire in myself again

like
like

Wow. Just... wow. https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/04/23/hertz_accenture_lawsuit/
Accenture sued over website redesign so bad it Hertz: Car hire biz demands $32m+ for 'defective' cyber-revamp

like

AdAge article on DMA shows more sympathy for the accused men than the actual victims. WTF?

likehelpful

Looking for practical advice on improving my attitude to work.

So imagine an imaginary scale where 0 is the worst piece of work a studio could produce and 10 is the best possible outcome.

As an animator working in an agency, I normally end up involved in projects towards the end, so by the time I get my hands on a project I can add between 1 and 3 depending on how much effort I put in.

If a project is a 3 when I get it, how do I summon the energy to make it a 6 that I could to make a 7 a 10?

like

Is there a way for a Senior Art Director with a decade of agency experience to break into the gaming industry? Or at least figure out a way to find a gaming client?

like

Laid off at Ogilvy yesterday

like

With layoffs slowing down. Does that give anyone reassurance of things going back to normal?

likefunny

ECD: we need edgy groundbreaking ideas
AD & Me: *works for two weeks on edgy ideas”
ECD & Account: *picks only safe ideas*
Client: these are nice but we want edgy ideas
ECD to us: I need edgy ideas

likefunnyupliftingsmart

Technology reimbursement - who gets it and what are your buying with it this year?

like

What’s blasting through your headphones?

like

Anyone (CDs/otherwise) been contacted directly by talent agencies (like CAA) regarding working with one of their celebs/entertainers on branding? They don't seem to understand I'm not an agency...

like

What do you do when a creative coworker constantly shows up late to your meetings?

like

Go. To. Therapy. It’s so healthy. This industry is insane, so take time for you!!

likehelpful

Hey y'all, I'm a copy acd at a mid size agency and wondering if anyone wants to partner and make some ads? Maybe enter some chip shot awards or just be creative together. Last few months have been bummer clients and I wanna do something semi-fun. Open to any level juniors to whatever.

like

I almost tripped over myself because I was checking out a slice of pizza.

like

Who’s hiring? Anyone? Bueller?

likefunny

Burning question: Laundry Service tried to counsel Papa John’s on potential media crises and John blows it like the idiot he is. Where was Edelman in all of this? Aren’t they the PR firm?

likesmart

I’m anticipating 2 offers and need some opinions. A) ACD role @ not exciting agency doing potentially great work, significant commute. B) AD role in house at a great company. Minimal commute. Both SF.

like

Looking for advice in what to ask for when you get the call to be let go.

like

New to Fishbowl?

Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
That was just a preview…
Sign Up to see all discussions
  • Discover what it’s like to work at companies from real professionals
  • Get candid advice from people in your field in a safe space
  • Chat and network with other professionals in your field
Sign up in seconds to unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.

Already a user?
Login here

Share

Embed this post

Copy and paste embed code on your site

Preview

Download the
Fishbowl app

See what’s happening in your industry
from the palm of your hand.

A phone with Fishbowl app

Send download link to your phone

OR

Scan your QR code to download
Fishbowl app on your mobile

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Messaging rates may apply

Download app

Sign up for free to view this conversation on Fishbowl

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

Already have an account? Log in

Sign up for free to continue using Fishbowl

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use(New) and Privacy Policy(New)
Messaging rates may apply

Already have an account? Log in

For account settings, visit Fishbowl on Desktop Browser or

General

Legal