Enjoying Flexibility at Papa

Flexibility at work can mean different things to different people. For some, it may be having the ability to work from home. For others, it could mean working outside of the normal 9-5 workday to fit their personal schedule. At Papa, our team members have the freedom to find the flexibility that works best for them.

For Garima Gupta, Senior Manager of Data & Analytics, Papa’s remote-friendly culture is something that stands out. “Everyone works from different locations, different time zones, but there’s a mutual respect for everyone’s times and schedules.” 

Garima lives on the West Coast but chooses to work Eastern Time hours so that she has time later in the day to spend with family, reading books, going on walks and exercising. She also uses her time to grow her soft and technical skill sets related to Data Science by reading technical blogs and sometimes writing about what she learned.  This balance is something she stresses with her team as well, so that they feel comfortable creating a work-life fit that is best for them.

Dani Bchara, CFO, became a first-time father shortly after joining Papa. Papa supported him after the birth of his son, allowing him to take paternity leave even though he had only been with the company for two months. This enabled him to spend time with his son before diving back into work. “It’s nice to know that if I need to take time off, I don’t have to worry. I can be honest and forthcoming about what’s happening in my life, and I know that we’ll work out some kind of situation that is supportive of me but is also good for Papa,” he said. 

Dani loves having the ability to work-from-home as well. During the day, his son may even make a cameo appearance during a work meeting. “I feel like I can always pick him up if he’s crawling by, and I can just hold him while we’re in meetings. It’s nice to have him around.”

Before joining Papa, Alma Yanez, Billing Specialist, was looking for an opportunity where she could work from home and provide her the flexibility to support the needs of her family. With a son with Autism and ADHD, she needed a job where it was okay if she had to leave because her son needed her. 

“It’s been incredible,” said Alma. “I don’t think I’ve ever worked in a place like this before. They fully understand that I’m a mom, that I’m a wife, that family is very important, and I really love that. My team is there to support me.” 

She also has a two-year-old toddler, who typically goes to a babysitter during the day. Alma appreciates knowing that on light schedule days, she can have him home with her instead. “I love working from home. When my kids are on vacation, I’m able to be with them. That gives me a huge flexibility with my kids.”

Being flexible can also mean changing up your work location. Cal Oatis, Training Specialist, likes to sit outside while taking some of his member calls and he appreciates the comfort of working from home. “You can set up your work environment the way you want to. There’s so many ways that you can get the best out of it and it works for you.” 

In 2018, Papa founders Andrew Parker and Alfredo Vaamonde were accepted into Y Combinator. They moved to San Francisco, leaving the other three employees at the time to work in Miami. They trusted their team to move things forward, even as they were across the country.

During the pandemic, this level of trust was proven once again when the entire company shifted to working virtually. “Everyone’s working remotely, and you need to trust your team. Early on, we were always thinking about that, but we hired the best people and were very fortunate,” said Alfredo. 

To keep team members engaged by working from home, the founders implemented a weekly coffee break where any employee can log in to have a conversation with the CEO and COO to get to know them better. These meetings are relaxed and open, like the founders, and provide a way for relationships to be built within the company even when people are now spread around the country.
Find out more about working for Papa!