We sat down with Lukas Blakk, Mobile Release Manager at Snap (formerly Snapchat), to learn about how backup care impacts her work and family life.
Q: How many kids do you have? How old are they?
We have a 12 year old and a 3.5 year old.
Q: How long have you been at Snap and in what position?
I'm a Mobile Release Manager and have been at Snap for over a year.
Q: Can you describe what finding backup childcare was like before Helpr?
We got our 3-year-old within a month of my start date at Snap, so I didn't have experience finding backup childcare. It was a blur of getting him to California from the East Coast, finding the right preschool, and then figuring out how to get alone time with my partner. Snap offered Helpr from the get-go so it was an immediate, and very welcome, relief to have such a service.
Q: Does your partner work?
Yes, she's the provost for an arts college and extremely busy.
Q: How often have you used Helpr since it's been offered to you as a benefit? And, can you provide any specific examples of how you used it?
It's been critical on a couple of days where my youngest's preschool was closed. Helpr also gave us a couple of times to rest and recover from the deep dive into preschooler parenting ... another time, his preschool was closed but I had a meeting in Cupertino with Apple that I absolutely could not miss. Helpr was there to save the day.
Q: Would you be less productive at work without Helpr? How?
Knowing I can book a Helpr in a pinch is definitely key to feeling like I won't disappoint my team.
Q: How important is wellness to being both a present parent and employee?
Super important to me! I'm not as young as some of my co-workers and I have a lot of need to be efficient in my work, but also really present with my family. Being able to have flexible hours is huge (Snap is great for this) but so is having extra benefits that support me in providing time for myself and my partner when we need to rest.
My partner and I also don’t have parents nearby. So in many ways, Helpr offers a benefit that’s similar to having family in-town, because we can call on Helpr in a moment’s notice.
