Employers of the world - hear this:

I am blessed. Health, happiness and family aside, I have an employer that provides family-friendly flexibility.

I recently got a memo from my day care that stated they're going to begin enforcing a much-abused policy which prohibits kids from being at the center longer than 10 hours. A cost-prohibitive penalty fee will now be added for exceeding the 10-hour limit.

Admittedly, I am a parent that has pushed the boundaries of this rule since day one. Nothing crazy - 10-15 minutes, tops. And it's not because I'm off shopping or getting manicures. It's actually quite the opposite - I'm generally fighting rush-hour traffic or trying to wrap up that last-minute project for an important client.

So, here were my options:
1) Suck it up and pay the fee (which I can't afford).
2) Ask my boss if I can work through lunch and leave early.

Let it be said, I HATE asking for favors. I don't want my co-workers to feel that I'm not there enough or that they can't count on me. My competency and dependability are two things I never want questioned.

Thankfully, my major clients often leave early, so ditching lunch to scoot by 4:30 was my best (and only) option. So I composed "The Email", closed my eyes and hit "send". Within a minute, I had a reply.

"Yes, you can leave early."

Oh, thank God.

I quickly composed a thank you email expressing my appreciation and reaffirming my dedication to my work.

I'm sure my boss's decision wasn't made out of compassion for the pickle I was in. It was good business. In the past year-and-a-half that I've worked there, I've demonstrated that I'm a very engaged and conscientious employee. I'm detail-oriented and rarely leave a loose end hanging. I'm known as a team player who often logs in on days off or just calls in to be sure things are running smoothly. I'm confident that my past track record was the biggest factor in her decision to approve my request. She simply accommodated the needs of a highly engaged, productive employee.

While I was dedicated before my schedule change, being granted the new work schedule, has given my employer unanticipated rewards. Without the stress of rushing around after work or fretting about the additional day-care costs, I've got a renewed outlook on my work. I feel even more dedicated to the organization and have an extra little spring in my step on the job.

Employers of the world - hear this:

Work with the working mom. Be flexible with her. Allow her to give you her all in a way that still enables her meet her family's needs. Don't be tied to a time clock. An appreciative, conscientious employee will give you more in 7 hours than a checked-out, unengaged one will give you in 8 or more.

And that just makes sense.