101: Supporting employees on parental leave
Welcoming a child into a family is a time for celebration. This marks a transition, not just for the new parents, but for their places of employment. As a result, managers must create policies allowing them to support their parental-leave employees while maintaining team productivity.
Establishing family friendly practices. Family-friendly initiatives benefit both the employee who feels supported and the employer who increases retention numbers. The United States is the only industrialized nation that does not mandate paid parental leave, according to Walden University. However, 77% of workers cited in Walden’s study indicated a paid family leave policy could sway their choice of employer. “More and more companies are implementing paid parental leave policies to attract and keep the right talent.”
Pre-planning leave. “The opportunity to establish the right tone begins the moment an employee informs you that they’re expecting a child,” Sarah Olin writes in the MIT Sloan Management Review. The initial conversation should be respectful and transparent. During this phase, managers should review the company’s benefits for expectant families, explain how much leave is available, and flesh out a work plan. Some employees might want to receive project updates while on leave, while others may want to be left alone. Establishing expectations is key.
Creating a positive return-to-work transition. A new parent will need support as they transition back to the office. This can include conversations about allowing remote days or reduced hours to ease back into their jobs. Supervisors should understand new parents may need to log off unexpectedly to take care of a newborn or privacy to do things like pump breast milk. A running to-do list and updates can help the entire team feel on the same page while the expectant team member is on parental leave. “It can be stressful when you’re first told that you’ll be down an employee during leave. But your job is to manage through this feeling, plan accordingly, and make the experience comfortable for everyone involved,” Elyse Wallnutt writes for the website Her Agenda.
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