Catherine Muge and Dr Tom Bashford - How to Navigate Shared Parental Leave as a Dual Career Couple

Apply today: Cross-Sector Fellowship applications close on 7th March 2023

"Our family is a mutual enterprise, it's a project we manage together, and it has to be given time and resource. We have to really clearly communicate that between us: is everyone happy with the time and resource that is going into that mutual project? "

Joining Verena on the podcast this week are Catherine Muge and Dr Tom Bashford.

Catherine is Director of Partnership Intelligence at UNICEF UK and Tom is Assistant Professor in Healthcare Systems, University of Cambridge and Consultant Neuroanaesthetist, Addenbrooke’s Hospital. Together, they are also raising two young boys.

Tom and Catherine share their two experiences of Shared Parental Leave, as well as
their views on the importance of role modelling equality for their sons.

They discuss:

how having children changed their perspective on the way they work, forcing them to be more strategic with their time and considerate of the family unit as a wholethe societal bias that still leads to assumptions of Catherine as the default caregiverthe importance of regular "moments of rebalancing" the caregiving burden.

We hope you enjoy the conversation.

Are you progressing a big career whilst raising small children?

Each month we send out a helpful round-up email featuring useful info and brave new ideas for ambitious mums and dads. Sign up now.

Applications are now open for our NHS Fellowship

Our FMLM accredited NHS Fellowship is a career development programme for working parents in the NHS who want to lead positive change. Apply by 11/07. Find out more.

Big Careers Small Children helps ambitious parents progress careers they love whilst being present with their children. Through honest and informal conversation, senior leaders divulge what they have learnt on their own journey of combining big careers with young children to our host Verena Hefti MBE. Expect lots of aha moments, inspiration, fresh ideas, and practical support, so you can move forward in your career in a way that works for you and your family.This podcast is hosted by our social enterprise Leaders Plus. We believe that no parent should have to choose between progressing the career they love and enjoying their young children. Through the Big Careers, Small Children podcast and our award-winning Fellowship Programme, we have supported thousands of Leaders with young children to make brave decisions about their future. We unapologetically help more mums (and dads with significant caring responsibilities) to get to senior leadership positions, because only by helping parents to progress their career can we have true gender equality at the top and address the gender pay gap.Be part of our positive movement for change and sign up to receive our informative monthly emails at www.leadersplus.org.uk/newsletterWe hope you enjoy listening to our podcast and invite you to follow us on social media @leaders_plus #BigCareersSmallChildren

• No. of episodes: 212
• Latest episode: 2024-12-05
• Business Kids & Family

Where can you listen?