A Culture that Works for Working Parents
At CDW, working and aspiring parents can take advantage of many benefits. From fertility and adoption assistance to backup childcare services and our CDW Kids club, parents have resources to assist them along every stage of their parenting journey. Alongside those benefits, many will say that one of the best perks is the culture of support from management and coworkers. We talked to a few of our working parents to learn more:
How has CDW supported you as a working parent?
Alan Radevski (He/Him) - CDW has supported me in multiple ways as a working parent and I am extremely grateful for the support I’ve received. We recently welcomed our baby girl into the family and the two weeks paternity leave CDW gave me was great. It allowed me to stay home and focus on taking care of my wife and daughter.
I’ve also had the opportunity to work for some great managers. Our son is in speech therapy and I know I can be present during his sessions with the support of my managers. CDW has been focused on keeping us safe and the shift to work from home has allowed me to be more present.
Jamie Burke (She/Her) - Even before the sudden shift in our working dynamic two years ago, I have taken advantage of CDW benefits and flexibility to support my two boys as a working mom. My leadership promotes the mantra, “family first,” where I have not once felt guilty making a decision that is more aligned to my family’s needs. For instances where my sons’ daycare was closed, I was able to lean on flexible back-up daycare through CDW@Play. What I have been most excited about this past year is that I could transfer CDW@Play back-up days into virtual tutoring hours! My oldest son was having some difficulty reading and needed to gain confidence. I transferred our back-up daycare benefits and activated more than 40 hours of virtual tutoring sessions he takes when he gets home from school. Not only has he risen to an above average reading level, but it also keeps him busy while I’m completing my workday.
Leigh Giuliano (She/Her) - My parenting journey began nearly four years ago, when my partner and I began fostering our first placement, a ten-year-old girl with special needs. I’ll never forget that call, when we looked at each other and said, “are we really doing this?” and within an hour of receiving that call, our lives changed forever. Over the last four years we’ve learned a lot, gained wisdom on what it means to be working parents through trial and error, and learned what it means to remain persistent and consistent. During my tenure at CDW I’ve been met with nothing but grace and flexibility by my managers. What this means in my world is that I’ve never missed a doctor’s appointment, I’ve never missed an IEP meeting, I’ve never missed a parent-teacher conference, and I’ve never missed a court date to stand up and advocate for my child.
What do you want other parents to know about working at CDW?
AR - You have an excellent support system with parents that are in your shoes or have already been there and can give you advice. If you’re a new parent and struggling through a sleepless night, there’s someone else that is likely going through the same thing you are. If your child is struggling in an area or you’re not sure how to handle a situation, there’s someone that has been through it and can offer advice on how to overcome it. The benefits CDW provides to us are fantastic as well so you can make sure your family is always protected.
JB - Caring for and supporting one another is intrinsic to CDW’s culture so as we adapted to our new work environment, we did the right thing for our coworkers. Leaders provided their team flexibility during the workday which allowed parents space to support their children through remote learning. There were opportunities to join virtual meet ups to share your experience with other parents who may be experiencing the same challenges. CDW also invested in the Modern Health service so we could schedule time with care providers/therapists to re-energize and prioritize mental health. CDW puts their talent first, and it became more apparent than ever these past couple of years. 
LG - The culture at CDW has been empowering in allowing me to succeed at work as well as at being a mom. Last summer when we gained permanent guardianship over our now 14-year-old, my managers and peers celebrated with me in this huge milestone. For any parent there are so many unknown variables, and as a foster parent, nothing is ever set in stone. Without the support and compassion I receive in my CDW network every day, I simply wouldn’t be able to juggle it all.
Share your favorite parenting tip/hack.
AR - Cocomelon. If you need a few minutes to get something done around the house or just a few minutes of sanity back in your life, put on Cocomelon.
JB - I would just emphasize how important it is to be present. Today’s pace is faster than ever, and as a family, we can get sucked into our work or the devices at our fingertips. My husband and I now hold each other accountable to spending time between our boys’ night routine and bedtime to play a game or watch a show together with the phones turned off.
What’s your favorite thing about being a parent?
AR - Everything. That includes the sleepless nights, the dirty diapers, the tantrums, etc. One day, they’ll be all grown up and you’ll wish they were that little again.
JB - I love to watch our boys learn and grow, and it is an amazing feeling to see our core values show up in their actions. It’s a great reminder they are always listening and watching!
Learn more about our benefits to support working parents on our Benefits Communication Portal
At CDW, working and aspiring parents can take advantage of many benefits. From fertility and adoption assistance to backup childcare services and our CDW Kids club, parents have resources to assist them along every stage of their parenting journey. Alongside those benefits, many will say that one of the best perks is the culture of support from management and coworkers. We talked to a few of our working parents to learn more:
How has CDW supported you as a working parent?
Alan Radevski (He/Him) - CDW has supported me in multiple ways as a working parent and I am extremely grateful for the support I’ve received. We recently welcomed our baby girl into the family and the two weeks paternity leave CDW gave me was great. It allowed me to stay home and focus on taking care of my wife and daughter.
I’ve also had the opportunity to work for some great managers. Our son is in speech therapy and I know I can be present during his sessions with the support of my managers. CDW has been focused on keeping us safe and the shift to work from home has allowed me to be more present.
Jamie Burke (She/Her) - Even before the sudden shift in our working dynamic two years ago, I have taken advantage of CDW benefits and flexibility to support my two boys as a working mom. My leadership promotes the mantra, “family first,” where I have not once felt guilty making a decision that is more aligned to my family’s needs. For instances where my sons’ daycare was closed, I was able to lean on flexible back-up daycare through CDW@Play. What I have been most excited about this past year is that I could transfer CDW@Play back-up days into virtual tutoring hours! My oldest son was having some difficulty reading and needed to gain confidence. I transferred our back-up daycare benefits and activated more than 40 hours of virtual tutoring sessions he takes when he gets home from school. Not only has he risen to an above average reading level, but it also keeps him busy while I’m completing my workday.
Leigh Giuliano (She/Her) - My parenting journey began nearly four years ago, when my partner and I began fostering our first placement, a ten-year-old girl with special needs. I’ll never forget that call, when we looked at each other and said, “are we really doing this?” and within an hour of receiving that call, our lives changed forever. Over the last four years we’ve learned a lot, gained wisdom on what it means to be working parents through trial and error, and learned what it means to remain persistent and consistent. During my tenure at CDW I’ve been met with nothing but grace and flexibility by my managers. What this means in my world is that I’ve never missed a doctor’s appointment, I’ve never missed an IEP meeting, I’ve never missed a parent-teacher conference, and I’ve never missed a court date to stand up and advocate for my child.
What do you want other parents to know about working at CDW?
AR - You have an excellent support system with parents that are in your shoes or have already been there and can give you advice. If you’re a new parent and struggling through a sleepless night, there’s someone else that is likely going through the same thing you are. If your child is struggling in an area or you’re not sure how to handle a situation, there’s someone that has been through it and can offer advice on how to overcome it. The benefits CDW provides to us are fantastic as well so you can make sure your family is always protected.
JB - Caring for and supporting one another is intrinsic to CDW’s culture so as we adapted to our new work environment, we did the right thing for our coworkers. Leaders provided their team flexibility during the workday which allowed parents space to support their children through remote learning. There were opportunities to join virtual meet ups to share your experience with other parents who may be experiencing the same challenges. CDW also invested in the Modern Health service so we could schedule time with care providers/therapists to re-energize and prioritize mental health. CDW puts their talent first, and it became more apparent than ever these past couple of years.
LG - The culture at CDW has been empowering in allowing me to succeed at work as well as at being a mom. Last summer when we gained permanent guardianship over our now 14-year-old, my managers and peers celebrated with me in this huge milestone. For any parent there are so many unknown variables, and as a foster parent, nothing is ever set in stone. Without the support and compassion I receive in my CDW network every day, I simply wouldn’t be able to juggle it all.
Share your favorite parenting tip/hack.
AR - Cocomelon. If you need a few minutes to get something done around the house or just a few minutes of sanity back in your life, put on Cocomelon.
JB - I would just emphasize how important it is to be present. Today’s pace is faster than ever, and as a family, we can get sucked into our work or the devices at our fingertips. My husband and I now hold each other accountable to spending time between our boys’ night routine and bedtime to play a game or watch a show together with the phones turned off.
What’s your favorite thing about being a parent?
AR - Everything. That includes the sleepless nights, the dirty diapers, the tantrums, etc. One day, they’ll be all grown up and you’ll wish they were that little again.
JB - I love to watch our boys learn and grow, and it is an amazing feeling to see our core values show up in their actions. It’s a great reminder they are always listening and watching!
