“If you create a culture of care that’s honest and practiced every day, your turnover goes way down, your internal trust goes way up, and everyone is happier." - Kristin Horowitz, CEO
This October, The Pad was honored with a Diamond-Level status for being one of San Luis Obispo County’s premiere family and child-friendly workplaces. Our CEO, Kristin Horowitz and our Setting Director Joe Maier attending the Good Morning SLO Chamber Breakfast to accept the honor of “Distinguished Champions.”
The San Luis Obispo County Family-Friendly Workplace Award is for public, private, and non-profit employers in SLO County and seeks to recognize employers and support organizations that adopt and implement family-friendly practices for their employees.
Achieving Diamond-level status is no small feat. In order to qualify, employers must demonstrate that they have at least five policies in place in five categories that support family-friendly practices, such as:
- CATEGORY ONE: Employer-Sponsored Child Care
- CATEGORY TWO: Flexible Work & Scheduling
- CATEGORY THREE: Paid & Unpaid Leave
- CATEGORY FOUR: Health Benefits & Flexible Spending
- CATEGORY FIVE: Parent Accommodations & Support
The Pad team members agree that the company practices what they preach and employees are actively benefitting from a workplace culture that supports taking advantage of these benefits.
“Finding The Pad was honestly a huge blessing for me,” said Brianna Nieder, a Social Media Coordinator and Operations Assistant. “It’s difficult to feel as though society truly supports women who choose the path of motherhood. I knew I always wanted a boatload of kids, but I also knew that I enjoyed being a part of the workforce.
“I have been a mom at home with kids for the past five years and I’ve applied for several handfuls of ‘remote’ positions that just weren’t mom-friendly. They still required you to be on the phone for 8 hours a day or to work concrete, set hours. The Pad was the perfect match for me! I’ve got 3 daughters 5 and under and I’ve been able to successfully balance being a mom while also working nearly 30 hours a week due to the excellent flexibility The Pad Climbing offers their remote workers. Not only is the flexibility awesome, but I’m not in a dead-end position either! I’ve been able to take on other roles and responsibilities as I’ve wanted to. All I’ve had to do is ask! On the occasions that I do need to go into the gym for work, no one bats an eye when I bring the three kids along. I’ve been super grateful to The Pad Climbing for being the best job I’ve ever had and for allowing me to pursue my first dream of raising my family.”
The SLO County Family-Friendly Workplace Award is brought to you by the Family-Friendly Workplace Accelerator Program, hosted by the SLO Chamber of Commerce, and sponsored by First 5 SLO County and the County of SLO in collaboration with the We Are The Care Initiative.
