Human-Centered Benefits, Flexibility, and Supporting Working Parents
Episode 64 – Her Resources Podcast
If it wasn’t for employees, companies wouldn’t function — yet too often, workplace benefits are treated as surface-level perks rather than the foundation of a healthy organization.
In Episode 64 of the Her Resources Podcast, host Linda Misegadis sits down with Jenilee Angeles-Pasco, an experienced HR leader, to explore what it truly means to design benefits that support real people living real lives. This conversation goes beyond check-the-box policies and dives into flexibility, trust, leadership accountability, and the everyday realities working parents and caregivers face.
Moving Beyond Performative Benefits
Many organizations offer benefits that sound generous — unlimited PTO, flexible schedules, wellness perks — yet employees often feel uncomfortable actually using them. As Jenilee explains, benefits only work when managers and leaders actively support people in accessing them.
Unlimited PTO is a perfect example. Without leadership modeling time off and encouraging rest, flexibility can quietly turn into burnout. Employees push breaks aside, workloads pile up, and the promise of balance never materializes.
Supporting Working Parents After the Big Moments
One of the most powerful themes in this episode is the gap between benefits designed for major life events and the ongoing realities that follow.
Parental leave is critical — but what happens after employees return to work? Parents are navigating daycare schedules, school pickups, medical appointments, and childcare costs, often without meaningful support. Jenilee emphasizes that flexibility, trust, and manager understanding are what truly determine whether working parents feel supported long term.
This conversation also highlights the importance of inclusive parental benefits. When fathers and partners are encouraged to take parental leave, the impact extends beyond the individual employee — it supports families, reduces burnout, and creates more equitable workplaces.
Trust, Flexibility, and Leadership Accountability
Flexibility isn’t about working less — it’s about trusting adults to do their jobs while managing full lives outside of work.
Jenilee shares how leadership behavior sets the tone for workplace culture. When leaders send late-night messages, avoid taking time off, or quietly discourage flexibility, employees notice. Policies lose credibility when they aren’t backed by action.
True flexibility requires accountability at the leadership and manager level. When leaders walk the talk, employees feel safer, more engaged, and more willing to stay.
Starting Small and Building Intentionally
Not every organization has the budget of a large tech company — and that’s okay. One of the most practical takeaways from this episode is the importance of starting small.
Piloting initiatives like Summer Fridays, company-wide breaks, wellness stipends, or learning and development funds allows organizations to gather feedback, measure impact, and grow benefits sustainably. Thoughtful, incremental changes often create more trust than flashy programs rolled out without follow-through.
The Human Side of HR
Jenilee also speaks candidly about HR’s role as a bridge between employees and leadership. HR professionals often see patterns before they become problems — burnout, disengagement, fear around using benefits — and that proximity is a powerful tool for change.
By listening closely, collecting feedback, and translating lived experiences into data leadership can act on, HR can advocate for benefits that actually work.
Why This Conversation Matters
At its core, this episode is a reminder that employees are not just workers — they are people. They are parents, partners, caregivers, and individuals with lives beyond their job titles.
When organizations invest in trust, empathy, and human-centered support, the return isn’t just retention or productivity — it’s healthier, more sustainable workplaces.
“If it wasn’t for your employees, this company wouldn’t be functioning. Supporting them isn’t optional — it’s foundational.”
Listen to Episode 64
🎧 Human-Centered Benefits, Flexibility & Supporting Working Parents
Her Resources Podcast Website: https://herresourcespodcast.com
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/hrpodcast
Connect with Our Guest
Connect with Jenilee Angeles-Pasco on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenileeangeles/
If this episode resonated with you, consider sharing it with a leader, HR partner, or anyone involved in shaping workplace culture. These conversations are how change begins.
Better workplaces start with people.
