Workplace Guilt

Being a juggling parent in the workplace requires prioritising tasks, setting firm boundaries, and leveraging flexible work arrangements like hybrid hours. Success involves open communication with employers, sharing domestic responsibilities, and accepting that perfection is unrealistic, focusing instead on quality time.

Every 6 weeks, the kids have a holiday/half-term! 

But work doesn't stop when you are self- employed!

Working from home as a Health, Safety, and Wellbeing (HSW) consultant has been a transformative experience, blending professional responsibility with personal flexibility in ways that I never imagined possible. My typical workday revolves around helping clients navigate complex compliance requirements—drafting and sending delay notices, editing toolbox talks, and collecting the necessary documentation for construction line accreditation. These tasks demand attention to detail, organisation, and timely communication, all of which I can now achieve from the comfort of my own home.

There is a particular satisfaction in knowing that even from behind a computer screen, my work directly contributes to the safety and efficiency of construction projects. Modern technology—cloud-based document systems, video calls, instant messaging—means that I can stay connected with clients, site managers, and contractors at every stage. Projects continue to move forward safely and smoothly because robust communication bridges the gap between the site and my home office. It’s a modern paradox: while I am physically removed from the dust, noise, and machinery of a construction site, my role still has a tangible, meaningful impact on the people who are out there making the work happen.

Of course, I fully acknowledge the criticisms that come with remote consulting. No one would argue that a construction site can be kept completely safe by a keyboard warrior alone. Hands-on inspections, real-time interventions, and human observation are irreplaceable. But my work is not about replacing that; it’s about complementing it. The administrative, planning, and compliance aspects of HSW can be managed remotely with precision, and that support allows on-site teams to focus on the physical safety measures that only they can implement.

What makes this arrangement even more rewarding is that it exists under the supportive framework of Bennett Business Partnerships. The flexibility allows me to fully embrace my dual role—not only as a consultant but as a mum. During half term, I am able to ensure my 12-year-old’s safety and well-being, providing supervision and stability while maintaining my professional responsibilities. There is a comfort in knowing that my clients recognise the importance of balance and trust me to deliver results while juggling personal commitments. Being present for my child during school holidays, helping with activities, or simply ensuring they are safe at home, is as vital to me as meeting project deadlines.

This combination of work and personal life would have been unthinkable a decade ago. Today, modern technology, thoughtful workplace policies, and good communication make it possible. I can draft a toolbox talk, upload documents for accreditation, or advise on delay notices in the morning, and by the afternoon, help my child with a project, prepare a healthy lunch, or supervise outdoor play. It’s a daily balancing act, but one that feels profoundly meaningful.

Ultimately, working from home under Bennett Business Partnerships allows me to embrace the best of both worlds. I contribute to construction project safety and compliance without sacrificing my role as a parent. While the work is challenging and the stakes are high, the sense of control, purpose, and fulfilment it brings makes every juggling act worthwhile. Modern work doesn’t have to mean sacrificing family or personal life—it just requires the right tools, the right mindset, and the right support.

I've really had to think about my mindset and the "Torn" Feeling (Split Focus), the Conflicting Priorities: Like most Parents I feel constantly torn between career ambition and being present for my children, leading to frustration, as I feel forced to choose between the two. I can totally relate to the experience described as a "constant, relentless grind," where parents often feel they are not "living, but surviving". It is a daily, often invisible, effort to maintain a career while raising a family, which, if not supported by the workplace, can lead to quitting or severe mental health struggles.

So, to all those working parents who are worried about screentime, juggling parenting, not working at 110%, and finances to ensure kids' clubs are covered, or maybe you are pulling on flexible work and literally the screen is really doing the entertaining acknowledge that pervasive guilt and inadequacy feeling of " never doing enough" and instead turn it around into feelings of "you are doing your best" in what is an extremely tough world. 

Change your thinking to be more positive and know you are not alone; there are many parents who are all struggling the same way. Make the best of your circumstances.

So if you are a business that can understand sometimes extra flexibility is needed, I still have space for 1 more client to come onboard, to ensure Health, Safety and Wellbeing is your business's focus. 

www.bennettpartnerships.co.uk