Sue Ellen Stamper works in the Payroll department at Schneider Electric in Florence, Kentucky. She is passionate about customer service and enjoys the outdoors, trying new restaurants, and traveling with her family. She shares her story of how Schneider Electric's Family Leave Policy supported her non-traditional family.
A Schneider Electric love story
Sue Ellen started with Schneider Electric’s Customer Care Center in 1999 and it was in this job that she met her husband Rob. He worked for a local distributor partner and they got to know each other when he contacted Sue Ellen's team for support. Their first date was on Valentine’s Day 2003.
"Since that day our careers took off in different directions but our love story kept true," says Sue Ellen.
Sue Ellen and Rob married in June of 2005 and planned to have children as soon as possible. Yet, soon after their marriage Rob's youngest son from a previous marriage was tragically taken from them in a traffic accident.
"That heartbreaking loss would soon be followed by years of failed attempts to grow our family. We worked with many doctors and professionals in the field of fertility but pregnancy was just not meant to be," says Sue Ellen.
Looking into adoption options
Despite all the disappointment and heartache, Sue Ellen and Rob still had a strong desire to be parents. They started looking into options for adoption and were attracted to a foster care agency needing placement homes. They soon started rigorous training requirements to prepare them for becoming foster parents.
"The agency was straight up with us to make sure we knew the risks of additional heartbreaking situations and new challenges in our parenting journey," explains Sue Ellen. "In our first year as foster parents there was more heartbreak and challenges as several wonderful children came to live with us and then returned to their biological families."
Bringing home a baby boy
Then, in 2014, Sue Ellen and Rob received a call that changed their lives. There was a three-week-old baby boy being released from the hospital who was in need of placement. They met their case worker at the hospital straight away and that evening they brought home a baby boy.
"I believe that all new parents can relate to the rollercoaster of emotions that come with bringing a brand new baby home. But bringing home a baby that you did not give birth to and spend many months preparing for added a whole new element," says Sue Ellen.
"With our situation at the time there were no benefits or corporate leave policies that provided us time off to bond with and care for this fragile new life. I had PTO time and very supportive leaders, but we knew we had to proceed cautiously in using too much of that time off so early in the year. After all we had to be realistic that this child had a biological family that may be able to reunify with him in the coming months."
Receiving valuable support from Schneider Electric
Fast forward to 2017 and, after almost four years of waiting, Sue Ellen and Rob's adoption day was finally a reality.
"We spent years praying of the day we would officially become parents and how special that would be. We could not have imagined that Schneider Electric would be introducing a new family leave policy that would affect our non-traditional family," says Sue Ellen. "With our best in industry global family leave policy, the primary parent receives 12 weeks of fully paid leave (2 weeks for the secondary parent) for both natural birth and adoption. On October 9th when we left the courthouse with our son, I started my 12 weeks of family leave."
"Our family story was far from traditional but that didn’t make it any less special or in need of the same benefits as traditional parents. I did not spend my 12 weeks changing diapers and warming up bottles, but those weeks were such a gift. I spend very meaningful time with my son bonding and having experiences we would not have otherwise had together," adds Sue Ellen.
"We took a family trip to Disney World and had many other adventures together. It meant so much to our family that Schneider Electric celebrates all their employees and the diversity in their family situations. I know that the new family leave policy will be a blessing to all employees that set out upon the journey of growing their family!"
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