Celebrating Our Superhero Dads!

Mark Rowley – Marketing Manager 

“Covid hitting in 2020 was so challenging in many ways, but one of the advantages was that it changed the way that we work now. It gave me the gift of time, and the gift of being able to spend that precious time with my daughter, Sienna. Things that I may have missed, like her first steps, first colouring and first words, I was now able to be present for. Working from home has not all been plain sailing, however, and Sienna has been an almost ever-present member on Teams calls, sat on my shoulders whilst I brand materials and desperately trying to press the letter ‘S’ on the keyboard whilst I’m working, but I wouldn’t change any of it. 

Being a dad has opened my eyes to everything my own dad has done and continues to do for me, along with everything he sacrificed, and this realisation has made every Father’s Day even more special.”

Tom Butcher – Sales Director 

“I was terrified when my wife went back to work in 2022 as I’d had 13 years of uninterrupted career time and had no idea how to incorporate daily parenting into that. Now that I’m about one and a half years into doing it, I can safely say that I have found time management skills that I didn’t know I had. Whether it’s school plays, GP appointments, sports days or forgetting the guitar lesson every week, there is always a challenge needing to be resolved – much like working at Medigold, just involving more sandwiches.

After my initial terror, firm belief that it wasn’t going to be possible, and a little help from the grandparents, afterschool club and Starbucks, I now really value the time I spend watching my four grow up whilst managing the daily chaos. It also helps that I work in a fantastically grounded organisation like Medigold Health where family life is part of working life.”

Markus Joint – Client Relationship Manager (CRM) 

“Juggling my time between work and home life is a beautiful conundrum. My children are at an awesome age were connecting with them has its own unique challenges; peeling them away from TikTok seems to be the biggest one! Thankfully I am now a dab hand at painting toenails and have an intricate knowledge of the nuances of gameplay on Fortnite. I do try and connect on levels that my children fully enjoy and embrace the (admittedly not very well hidden) inner child in me. I wouldn’t want to be a parent whose children felt they were unable to speak to me around issues they are having growing up in this very challenging environment we are in. Personally, I feel the biggest thing you can do as a parent is to be available, and although sometimes it’s hard, you do need to close the laptop and enjoy them—they will only be small for a such a short period of time, and it goes far too quickly!”

Sebastian Goldsmith – General Counsel

“It’s not an original observation that parenthood is both incredible and very hard. When you have small kids and a demanding job it can sometimes (maybe most of the time) feel like you’re doing neither role well enough. It is comforting to be reminded by others in the same boat that everyone feels like this on occasion, and it is not necessarily true! The move to remote working has been both a blessing, in that I see much more of my children overall, and a curse, in that you can be there but not ‘present’ because you haven’t left work at the office (“Hold on, I’m just sending an email!”). It is important to remember to be disciplined, but to also not be too hard on yourself. Most of the time nothing is going to fall over if you spend a bit more time with your family to get the balance right.

Often the largest barrier to working flexibly is not the rules that are in place but rather our own internal voice and feelings about whether we should. Probably the most important lesson I have learned in work is to make time for myself (whether that’s exercise or family time or just rest)—your work output improves because of it, even if it feels counterintuitive. I say that as someone who has probably forgotten that lesson a bit of late.  While we are constrained somewhat by our industry being appointment based, I know many colleagues do manage to prioritise their home life and that is the right kind of culture to foster. I always try to ensure my direct reports feel empowered to make time for their families. In my view it’s tremendously important that both dads and mums are able to pitch in with the childcare, as the stats show that when those kind of flexible working opportunities aren’t available for all parents, it’s generally the women who suffer and drop out of the workforce. I’m glad I work at a company that is helping to create societal change in that regard and I believe it engenders a loyalty and drive amongst staff when they are treated respectfully. It’s a win-win. Thank you for coming to my MED Talk!”

Scroll through our Superhero Dad Scrapbook! 

To all the superhero dads and father figures out there, we want to thank you for the important (and often underappreciated) work that you do each and every day.

Happy Father’s Day!