Ah, the elusive work/life balance. This year, we all got to work from home a lot more, but that definitely didn’t give anyone more balance. A 2014 memo sent around by Joe Biden has recently resurfaced and provides a firm reminder that family should be your first priority.
The President-elect wrote the letter to his staff six years ago, but the message resonates now too.
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“To My Wonderful Staff,” Biden wrote to begin the letter, “I would like to take a moment to make something clear to everyone. I do not expect nor do I want any of you to miss or sacrifice important family obligations for work.”
He went on to note that occasions big and small include family obligations, whether it’s a a birthday, graduation or a loss in the family.
Biden has always supported working parents, hiring many parents of young children to his staff. His administration has also discussed plans for paid family leave, seeking to give people up to 12 weeks of paid parental or medical leave.
“This is very important to me,” Biden continued in the letter. “In fact, I will go as far to say that if I find out you are working with me while missing important family responsibilities, it will disappoint me greatly. This has been an unwritten rule since my days in the Senate.”