Word to Your Mother (and Father!)
Okta is committed to working women and men at all stages of their careers, especially during the life-changing event of having kids. This year, the Women @ Okta employee resource group is celebrating Mother’s Day by highlighting a few of the special families that make up our Okta community—and also rolling out a new program for parents returning to work.
Welcome Back Program
Between late-night diaper changes and daytime Zoom meetings, we know that time is precious for Okta’s moms and dads. Women @ Okta endeavors to promote a healthy return to work and ensure that new parents have easy access to all available resources...plus a little something special!
With the launch of the Welcome Back program, parents returning to work will be greeted with a care package including goodies like Okta swag for their little one(s), meal delivery service gift cards, family resources, and words of encouragement from Okta. For mothers who are nursing while traveling for work, Okta has teamed up with Stork to easily get milk home to their baby/babies when they’re away on business.
We want our mothers and fathers to feel fully supported when they return to work and we think this new program is an exciting way to help welcome them back!
Read on to hear from a few of our parents about working at Okta:
Courtney Skay (Senior Director, Worldwide Field Operations Enablement) and her son, William
“The saying, ‘it takes a village’ is especially true as a working parent. William was born with Torticollis, which thankfully was a treatable condition. However, it did require regular physical therapy, doctor’s appointments and a baby helmet! As he turns one (this weekend!), I look back and realize I could not have made it through without my team and co-workers providing support along the way. I felt totally comfortable leaving to address the needs of my family knowing they had my back.”
Darren Cassar (Manager, Site Operations) and his twin girls, Karen and Leia
“My girls joined our family a little over five months ago. Being a new parent, especially to twins, presents its own particular challenges, but has also brought my wife and I overwhelming happiness. Being the financial provider for my family, I need to ensure that I continue to do my job very well. But I am also mindful of the delicate balance between my work and personal life. I give it my all during the workday and then I make sure that I give it my all when I get home to my family. When I found out that I was having girls, I asked to participate in the Women @ Okta group. As I think about the future, and my little girls, I want to be a champion of women’s equality. It is important to me that their pay is equal to their work, they have unlimited opportunities, and they are exposed to all that a career in technology can offer.”
Rosie Moon (IT Project Manager) and her son, Marcellus
“I wanted to share a photo of my son, Marcellus. He’s a frequent flyer to the ER and pediatric neurologist, and also likes helping other kids in need. Last Wednesday, I pulled him out of school to help with an Okta for Good event at work. He helped with set up, ran around the building for me, teamed up with others, sat at tables to provide instructions, and more. I'm sharing the only photo I have of his face from that day because I asked him to put gloves on, decorate and setup the cupcakes and cupcake towers. All the other photos are of him running around in the background, helping everyone: blowing up balloons, offering stickers, or sharing smiles while handing out certificates to the children at Family House.”
Helen Chen (Software Engineer) and her son, Quincy
“A parent’s greatest joy is experiencing and witnessing the small yet important moments in their child’s life. This can often be difficult for working parents. Fortunately for me, Okta has allowed me to be present in my son’s life—without having to compromise my work or professional development. This picture is an example of that. On a Friday morning, I was able to see my son perform for his school’s Chinese New Year celebration. The experience was not only fun and heartwarming, but showed Quincy that he comes first, which is crucial to the well-being of our children. Parental involvement in school is challenging, but so important to our children. I’m lucky that working at Okta gives me the flexibility to spend significant moments with my son, even when they land during normal business hours.”
Happy Mother’s Day and (early) Father’s Day to all of the parents, inside and outside of Okta. Your dedication is inspiring and we would not be here without you!
