At Taboola, we are proud to support our working mothers around the globe and create a nurturing environment where they can thrive. We understand motherhood’s unique challenges and rewards and believe these women bring invaluable perspectives and strengths to our workplace. That’s why we’ve implemented a range of benefits and policies designed to support them in their roles as both employees and parents.
In Thailand, we recently celebrated Mother’s Day, known locally as Wan Mae. In honor of this occasion, we interviewed several of our own amazing working mothers to learn about their experiences at Taboola and hear their advice.
Parental Leave Policies Create The Foundation For Family
Becoming a parent is a significant life event. It is a time filled with firsts, excitement, joy, and stress (let’s be honest!). Our parental leave policies ensure mothers and all caregivers have ample time to spend with the newest addition to their families and can return to work feeling energized and supported.
Taboola offers all primary caregivers:
- 26 weeks of paid leave, starting from the child’s birth or adoption date.
- Return-to-work flexibility: During the first two months, caregivers may work at 80% while still receiving full-time pay.
Taboola provides secondary caregivers with paid leave based on their tenure:
- First-year employees are given two weeks of paid parental leave.
- Second-year employees are given four weeks of paid parental leave.
- Employees in their third year or more are given eight weeks of paid parental leave, which can be taken consecutively or in two separate four-week periods.
How have these policies worked out for Taboola’s parents?
Chloe Trolliet, Sales Support Team Lead, loves cuddling with her 3-week-old son Archie and seeing him smile. She deeply appreciates Taboola’s maternity leave policy. It has allowed her to bond with her newborn and create unforgettable family memories during these early weeks.
Chloe’s Best Advice: Embrace the journey of motherhood with the support of a strong network, both at home and at work.
Tomoko Jazmines, Head of Growth and mother to one-and-a-half-year-old Rui, echoed Chloe’s sentiment. She told us she’s thankful for Taboola’s supportive parental policies and overall workplace flexibility, which have allowed her to spend quality time engaging in her and her son’s favorite activities, like singing, dancing, and swimming.
Tomoko’s Best Advice: Be flexible and know not everything will go as planned. Make a conscious effort to stay off devices at home and maintain open communication with your partner to stay aligned on family responsibilities.
Maddie Turk, Senior Sales Enablement Lead, credits Taboola’s maternity leave and work-from-home (WFH) policies as key factors in her decision to continue working. These policies have enabled her to balance professional responsibilities with family life, so she never misses an opportunity to sing and dance to her 1.5-year-old son Leland’s favorite songs.
Maddie’s Best Advice: Be present for your children and ensure your work hours are balanced with quality family time. Use schedules to stay organized and to plan activities that both parents and children can look forward to.
Prioritizing Balance With Flexible Time Off & Hybrid Work
Taboola has tossed restrictive time-off policies out the window. Instead, we offer unlimited paid time off (PTO) and a hybrid working environment with three days in the office and two days working from home. We trust our employees to take time off to recoup when needed, unwind on family vacations, and then return to work feeling refreshed and ready to take on the next project.
Pratana (Pam) Khoongumjorn, HR Director, describes the opportunity to WFH twice weekly as “priceless.” Despite the occasional chaos of having her 2-year-old son Preston at home, she cherishes the extra time with him during these precious early years, especially when they head out to the yard to kick a ball around, a favorite activity of theirs.
Pratana’s Best Advice: Avoid unnecessary stress by embracing “forced prioritization” in your personal and professional life and be mentally prepared for unplanned changes.
Dahlia Solski, Director of Publisher Professional Services and mom to 3-year-old Leo and 15-month-old Olivia, treasures the flexibility Taboola provides. Working at her own pace helps her maintain a healthy work-life balance, manage her time effectively, and still have plenty of time to read to her kids and let loose during family dance parties.
Dahlia’s Best Advice: Embrace the flexibility employers offer and structure your schedules to maximize quality time with your children.
ERGs Deliver A Community of Support
DEI is not just a buzzword at Taboola; it’s part of our fabric. Our leadership believes that diversity and collaboration lead to better and more impactful business decisions, so they have set an ambitious goal: by 2025, 45% of all promotions and new hires, including key leadership roles, will be filled by women and/or racially diverse employees. To further support a culture of diversity and inclusion, Taboola has many ERGs.
Two of the ERGs that support working mothers are:
- TaboolHer: As the official Taboola Women’s Collective, this group works to highlight the value women bring to the workplace and to make Taboola a company where women choose to grow by bringing the entire organization together to celebrate the contributions of female Taboolars.
- Taboola Families: This group strives to create a community among current and prospective parents while also representing parents’ needs and perspectives at Taboola. While priorities are based on members’ input, they come together for education, sharing, mentorship, and events.
Naomi Kono, Senior Marketing Manager, is a single mom living abroad with her 12-year-old son Joe. When they aren’t traveling the world together, Naomi focuses on work (and Joe, of course!). She appreciates Taboola’s family-friendly environment, particularly the ability to bring her son to the office, which allows her to share her work life with him and fosters mutual understanding and support within the family.
Naomi’s Best Advice: Build a strong support network of friends, teachers, nannies, and colleagues. Seek help and support other parents when they need childcare solutions or help tackling different challenges.
Taboola is committed to creating a supportive environment that empowers employees to thrive at work and home. The experiences shared by our incredible mothers in Thailand are a testament to our ongoing efforts to foster a culture of flexibility, understanding, and community.