About Us
If work doesn't work for everyone, it simply doesn't work
Founded in 2019 by Emma Mclean, Works for Everyone provides coaching solutions for the challenges parents face when returning to work. Motivated by her own experiences and those of her peers, Emma set out to transform the return-to-work journey, ensuring it supports, rather than sidelines, career growth.
With over 25 years of experience in corporate strategy, Emma brings a rich background and certified coaching to offer targeted, empathetic solutions. Her philosophy: we need to put a care wrap around parents at the hardest part of their career so they can hold their course and stay in the leadership pipeline.
Emma’s vision for the future
Parenthood reshapes priorities, and the workplace must evolve accordingly - for the employee, their family, and for the organisation as a whole.
A Call to Action for Leaders
The journey towards truly inclusive workplaces begins with a commitment to embrace and support the diversity of experiences within your teams.
Investing in the potential of your returning employees also strengthens your organisation's culture and enhances its competitive edge.
Igniting Change
With initiatives like the groundbreaking Part Time Power List and insightful dialogues through her podcast "How to Smash the Motherhood Penalty," she's setting a new standard for what it means to support working parents.
She believes in a world where lifting up women, and thereby all working parents is foundational to lifting up humanity.
Support for Inclusive Workplaces
Our approach is pragmatic, rooted in the real-world experiences of working parents, and focused on actionable strategies that prioritise well-being and professional growth.
At Works for Everyone, we are reshaping the narrative for working parents, crafting a future where every role, every policy, and every workplace supports and celebrates the dual responsibilities of its employees.
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Meet Emma Mclean: A Champion for Working Parents
Emma Mclean is the mother of three teenagers who founded her business in 2019 following a 20-year career in corporate strategy where she experienced first-hand how hard it was to have a career and a family. Inspired by this, her business has a suite of services that are all about putting a care wrap around parents during the hardest parts of their career.
In 2023 she launched her successful podcast “How to Smash the Motherhood Penalty” where she talks to humans who are actively working to change the system that creates financial penalties that only mothers pay. And in 2024 she launched the first NZ Part Time Power List – to shine a light on those senior roles in New Zealand that are career building, not side stepping.
She is a professionally trained Executive Coach, was the recipient of the 2022 NZ Herald/Jaguar She Sets The Pace Community Grant, is alumni of the 2021 NZ Leadership Programme, and most importantly is a lifelong Swiftie.