Enthusiasm of a young mother and support of men
Ewelina Romańska, a director of Franke Poland, responsible for PR and HR, only now feels she is self-accomplished, because together with a dream job, she has a complete family: a husband and a recently born daughter – Laura. She believes that thanks to good organization and support of men she can accommodate these two roles and find time for her own too.
Commitment to professional issues
Before becoming a mother, this young woman was focused primarily on the development of her professional life at Franke Poland, where she acted as a PR & HR manager and an assistant to the management board. She dealt with human resources such as recruitment of personnel, she organized various training activities including language courses, picnics for employees and their families, holiday meetings. She was involved in social and charity actions too.
She participated in creation of a transparent enterprise, through organization of information meetings for employees and courses such as „Economics for non-professionals” or „Finance for non-professionals”. Thanks to that they learnt what indicators to take into account, what they mean and what influences the financial standing of the company, what efforts are taken to render an enterprise profitable. It was also aimed at making the employees understand the purposefulness of decisions taken by the management.
She enjoyed a friendly atmosphere and flexible working hours, it happened sometimes she worked long hours to fulfil her obligations she undertook – she could not act otherwise. Sometimes she went on business trips for a few days. When she found out to be pregnant, she started to care more about herself.
–When the doctor informed me and my husband we would have a baby, we became euphoric. I was waiting impatiently for my belly to grow, because until the third or even the fourth month one could not see much – Ms Romańska smiles. Two months before delivery she did home office work.
Life after childbirth
Because of a considerable weight of fetus and for its safety, the couple decided on a Caesarian section, but initially they faced resistance from an unfriendly doctor. Finally, the medical personnel agreed on the baby to be born the way their parents chose it. Laura was born in July 2014 weighting 4 kg 110 g.
–In the first days after the delivery I was looking at my daughter and I was crying and laughing of happiness, because she was so sweet and charming – says the young mother with enchantment. -I was tired, but not more than other women, because my husband was helping me with everything.
She came back to work when Laura accomplished the tenth month of life. She quickly regained the working rhythm, so she had an impression that she had a two-week and not almost a one-year maternity leave.
I did not suffer any shock after the maternity leave, because I was all the time participating from home in the work of my company . Already two weeks after the delivery I sat for the first time at the computer, not because I had to, but because I wanted to know what was happening there without my presence – she says with commitment. When her daughter was already three months old, Ewelina started to visit her colleagues at work once a month. She wanted to keep updated and to have everything under control, to know what projects were being implemented.
When Laura was four months old, she went away with her colleagues from the company for a weekend, to complete the training she had organised earlier. Being a perfectionist, she wanted everything to be arranged precisely. It was the first time when she left her child for two days exclusively under the care of her husband. –I believe when a woman has a need to take a rest from a routine of her domestic duties, she should do so!– she states categorically. –I returned so much recharged after these two days that I got an extra vigor to perform my duties. That is why I advise to all mothers they should listen to themselves and not to other people. I repeat, perhaps a catchword , if a mother is happy, a child is happy as well. One should not try to do everything forcibly, only because it is proper for a young mother and expected in a specific way by the surrounding society. Mothers should also have time only for themselves! That is why Ewelina tries to find free time to go to a swimming pool or to meet her friends.
Already in the first week after the maternity leave, the director (at work nobody addresses her by her function,but just by mentioning her name – she does not like the mania of titles) has to work longer two days, comes back home at 11 p.m., because of important business dinners. However, usually she leaves work at 8 a.m. and comes back at 6 p.m. –Together with my husband we have adapted Laura’s life to our working hours, we wake her up before leaving, not only for breakfast, but mainly to kiss and cuddle her for all day. In the evenings we spend time together until 11 p.m., we go for walks, we play, we watch and read books – says the happy mum.
Things were not always so perfect, for example there was a problem with a babysitter who was not so caring as expected by Laura’s parents. Fortunately, they managed to find a more responsible babysitter. -Now we cannot wait to spend holidays together and we are searching for pretty gifts for Laura, probably we spoil our little girl too much, but she is still so young – admits Ewelina.
Another very important factor allowing the director to feel accomplished at home and at work is the understanding of her superior, who is a born feminist and who declares it openly. –My boss – Marek, I am talking about him as he is not present here – Ewelina laughs – He keeps saying that we constantly have new children born within our community of employees and he jokes that therefore the company is getting bigger, but talking seriously – he supports women with little children or pregnant ones very much. And they appreciate they can take some free hours to go for a medical checkout or to attend, for instance, nativity plays in a kindergarten and certainly they do not abuse his trust, because they diligently fulfill their duties. And I also do my best.
Beata Sekuła
