A millennial manager who didn’t take maternity leave after the birth of her first child opens up about her controversial decision.
Jessie Marshall and her husband Michael welcomed their son Leo in March, but six years before their “delicious baby” was born, Jessie had another child: her own business.
The 35-year-old man fired Cell Headquartersa Sydney-based PR and events agency, in 2018 – describing the advertising business as its “first-born”.
Jessie has put thousands of hours into her “blood, sweat and tears” to launch the agency, and now sails the ships of some of Australia’s biggest brands as clients, including Skin care has become popular recently..
However, Hive is still a very small company, employing only six staff – which requires Jessie to be “very hands-on.”
So when she got pregnant with Leo, she had to make a tough decision: “Should I take parental leave or continue working?”
She chose the latter option, a move that later made her “judged” by strangers, something the new mother intends to fight.
“After I talked about working during maternity leave on social media, I received comments from people who said ‘it’s selfish to put your work before your baby’ and suggested that if I couldn’t handle the mental burden of a newborn, I shouldn’t be a mum,” she told news.com.au.
“There are a lot of judgments placed on mothers as well as taboos about non-traditional ways of raising a child.
“Even before I had Leo, I was constantly faced with questions about when I would stop, how long, and why I didn’t slow down,” she said.
“While I’m sure the questions were coming from a good place, I found it very difficult, and at times, difficult to withhold judgment.”
In Australia, parents can take up to 12 months leave, and receive up to 22 weeks of Parental Leave Pay (PPL), which is paid at the national minimum wage.
But Jessie, who is self-employed, chose to continue working for her company, moving from her full-time office role to a flexible arrangement that suited her as a mother and CEO.
“My business is completely self-sufficient, I built it from absolutely nothing, and I want it to continue to win even if I’m not in the office every day,” she said.
“Regardless of what some people say about balance, it meant that I needed to be available, working at work and supporting my team.
“Even though this is ‘unconventional,’ it works for us, but it’s interesting to see other moms speaking up and accusing me of doing the wrong thing,” she said.
“I have a great support network as Michael, who also runs his own business, deals directly with me. If I’m not with Leo, he’s there.
“Some may criticize us, but I think we are lucky that we are not tied to a nine-to-five job.”
Jessie said her clients include popular Australian beauty brands BondiBoost, Naked Sundays and Bangn Body, as well as The Real Housewives of Sydney Wellness brand SWIISH, owned by superstar Sally Obermeder, has also backed her decision to stay “on the tools.”
There were also many people who reacted positively to Jesse’s decision, with some stating that they “wish they had the opportunity” to work flexibly, due to financial pressures.
In fact, the financial burden of taking 12 months off can be very difficult for some families, with data showing that around 45% of mothers return to work within the first six months of giving birth.
Even then, their earnings are reduced, with women cutting their paid work hours by about 35% in the first five years after having children. The same government supports Data The study shows that raising children also affects a mother’s retirement income, with her retirement income being about 25 percent lower than a man’s.
Jessie certainly has “no regrets” about getting right back to work after welcoming Leo.
“There’s definitely a sense of pressure to raise kids a certain way, but there’s no one way to raise kids,” she said.
“I have chosen to have Leo as much of our lives as he can, and we love that. There are definitely times when it’s great to be with Leo and not have to worry about anything else.
“But I love what I do, and I know I wouldn’t have been able to handle it any other way.
“When challenges arise, and Michael and I face them together, I can’t think of a better life lesson for our young son.”
