Celebrating the Diversity of Families Around the World at Rackspace Technology

The fourth Sunday of July is National Parents’ Day in the U.S. At Rackspace Technology®, we’re happy to announce that we are extending the celebration beyond one day — and celebrating Racker families all month long.

Our RackFam Resource Group has led the way. They’ve provided Rackers with the opportunity to get involved in a variety of events and experiences, to strengthen their connections, and to celebrate the month together.

Creating global connections

RackFam kicked off our first-ever Parents Month with something worth celebrating — a rebranding from RackParents to RackFam. At Rackspace Technology, we recognize that families come in many different forms. The group decided to adopt a new name to be more inclusive and to better reflect its mission of providing a network of support for working families.

The group’s executive sponsor, Liz Parnell, Chief Operating Officer of the Private Cloud business unit, hosted a global Racker Chat. These small group conversations provide Rackers with opportunities to connect with senior leaders and create deeper connections, as well as grow their business acumen, as they learn about other departments within the organization.

“As a global organization, it’s so important for us to create meaningful connections with Rackers everywhere,” said Liz. “Doing so helps us be more understanding, creative and collaborative. It helps us take advantage of our unique experiences and skills. We have so many programs that help us achieve this — from Racker Chats to RRGs like RackFam and our Racker Advocacy Group. I’m proud to do my part to help deepen those connections with our Rackers located around the globe.”

Providing timely resources to help modern families

Midway through July, RackFam partnered with Rack Gives Back to host the non-profit Organization for Social Media Safety, for an interactive and informative discussion on protecting youth from the potential dangers of social media. Through this experience, Rackers gained valuable insight into best practices for adjusting technology settings to ensure optimal personal safety, setting social media rules and engaging with young people about these critical issues.

“It is increasingly important for me to protect my kids — to ensure that they know the rules, what they should or should not do and who they should or should not engage with online,” said Karine Begoumian, Manager of Global Talent Development and co-president of RackFam. “We all work in technology, and we see why this is important, especially in the age of AI. We thought this event would be particularly important to help educate and protect everyone around us.”

Following the event, Rackspace Technology made a financial contribution to help the Organization for Social Media Safety continue its mission to make social media safe for everyone.

Hosting webinars for working parents

RackFam was also happy to partner with our global benefits team to promote a webinar from RethinkCare. The digital support platform provides holistic support to working parents, caregivers and their families through evidence-based and clinically validated approaches. Its goal is to help employees be healthier, happier and more successful in all areas of life. The organization hosted a webinar on transitioning back to school as summer winds down in the northern hemisphere.

“I love that Rackspace provides resources that make us feel that we are not alone in our journey. It can help me feel more confident in my role as a parent, using the right resources for myself and my kid” said Sapna Bhatnagar, benefits specialist. “Being better able to care for my family has a direct and positive impact on how I show up at work - so resources like RethinkCare and RackFam not only benefit me but also the company.”

Celebrating what makes each child unique

Strength is ingrained into the Rackspace Technology culture. Efforts are made to understand and develop Rackers’ unique talents to drive engagement, increase self-awareness and improve overall performance. This month, RackFam partnered with Rackspace University to host Strengths Workshops designed to help Racker children unlock the power of their unique talents.

"It's never too early to begin investing in our natural talents,” said Ryan Wadsworth, global trainer and Gallup Certified Strengths Coach. “With the partnership of Rackspace University and RackFam, we were able to showcase this to the younger generation."

Committed to providing a great place to work

Although we marked July as Parents’ Month, Rackspace Technology has been committed to providing a great place to work for parents for years. For example, the benefits program provides Rackers with the time off they need to take care of responsibilities at home and take time for themselves. Benefits also include coverage for telemedicine, fertility treatment, adoption assistance, backup child/elder/pet care, parenting applications, and more — all designed to help Rackers and their families thrive.

Rackspace Technology has been recognized as a best place to work by external organizations multiple times, including a triple recognition in 2021 as a Best Place to Work for Moms, a Best Place to Work for Dads, and a Best Place to Work for Parents Working Remotely.