Helping Employees Prepare for Parental Leave
Preparing for the arrival of a new baby is undoubtedly an exciting journey, but it can also be overwhelming for expecting parents. As an employer, you have the opportunity to alleviate some of that stress by helping your employees feel more prepared for their parental leave. By offering targeted support from the moment you learn about their pregnancy, you can make a significant difference.
It’s amazing how a little support can yield tremendous results. When employees feel valued and supported, their loyalty to the company strengthens. Additionally, employees who feel less stressed are more likely to be highly engaged and productive at work. The five points I’ll discuss below require minimal or no financial investment from your company but can make a substantial difference in retaining and engaging your employees.
Explain Their Benefits
Soon after an employee comes to you and tells you she’s pregnant (or his wife is expecting), you should be sure that they understand what their benefits will include for parental leave and beyond. Parents will want to start planning sooner rather than later. Understanding their rights and benefits when it comes to FMLA and even childcare and insurance after the baby is born can make it much easier for parents to work together and decide on the best solution for their family. Set them up with an HR meeting or explain their benefits yourself. They’ll want to know:
- How much paid leave they will receive?
- Are they able to take sick leave or PTO to extend their time off?
- Do they need to plan for taking some unpaid time?
- What is the process for requesting leave?
- Does Mom qualify for short-term disability benefits? If so, what are they and how do they work?
- How do they add a baby to their insurance after birth and what will the cost difference be for a family plan versus their current plan?
- Do you offer any childcare benefits?
- Are there any employee parent groups they can join?
Make Info Easily Accessible
In addition to explaining their benefits, ensure that all of the information, forms, and links they need are readily available and accessible. No one wants to search through 4 different handbooks, 5 emails, and a website to find what they need. Compile the answers to any questions expecting parents may have and the resources they need and put it all in one place. This could be a page on your employee website, an email, a physical folder, or something like the interactive training module below. (Select the picture or link to view an example of an informational training that could be sent out to expecting employees.)
Interested in a done-for-you solution for sharing employee benefits and information about parental leave? Reach out to see how I can customize this training for your company!
Create a Plan Together
After your employee has had some time to consider their benefits and how much parental leave they want to take, work with them to create a plan for their leave. Show that you care about them by involving them in decisions like who will take over their responsibilities. Support their choices regarding when and how long their leave will be, rather than trying to pressure them to come back sooner. Talk to the employee about the answers to these questions:
- When will their leave start? Do they plan to work right up until the baby is born or take off on a specific date?
- What will the communication expectation be during their leave? Are they going to step away completely? Will they be available by email? Should they have a weekly check-in with the team?
- Who will cover their responsibilities while they are away? Will they help interview for a temporary replacement or do they need to start training anyone?
- When will they return? What will it look like when they return? Will they immediately come back to full-time or phase in? Can you offer a flexible or hybrid work schedule?
Be Flexible and Compassionate
Pregnancies don’t always go as planned. Even though you have worked together to create a plan, realize that you may need to be flexible with the details as the baby’s due date draws nearer. For example, Mom may learn that she needs to go on bed rest for the last month of pregnancy, causing her maternity leave to shift significantly. She may also need accommodations during her pregnancy that she didn’t anticipate or need to go to the doctor more frequently than planned (meaning Dad may need to attend more doctor’s appointments than you anticipated as well.) Realize that these are likely already stressors on the expectant parents because no one WANTS a high-risk or unpredictable pregnancy. Be supportive and compassionate throughout the months leading up to the baby’s arrival and continue to be flexible and caring even after the parental leave ends. Remember that adapting to being a working parent can be overwhelming and give grace to the employee as they transition back to work.
Communicate Regularly
One of the biggest things you can do to support an expectant parent is to keep an open line of communication and remain approachable. Check in regularly to see how they are doing. Do they need anything? Is there something that is stressing them out that you may be able to take off their plate? Are they worried or concerned about a particular aspect of their leave? A simple text, email, or quick conversation can go a long way toward making an employee feel cared about and valued.
Summary
When an employee comes to you and tells you they are expecting a new little bundle of joy, chances are good that you may not feel the same level of excitement that they are experiencing. It may cause you to feel stressed over covering their position or worried about how their productivity may change. But do what you can to sincerely congratulate them and support them throughout the time leading up to the baby’s arrival. A little bit of communication and planning can help alleviate the stress for not only the expectant mom or dad but also for you as their manager or leader. Remember to share their benefits with them sooner rather than later and make that information easily accessible. Work together with the employee to plan for their maternity or paternity leave, communicate frequently, and remain flexible and compassionate throughout the pregnancy, leave, and beyond.
Additional Reading
Want to learn more about how you can support the hard-working parents on your team?
Reach out for a free consultation chat today!
Interested in a quick way to share employee benefits and information about parental leave? Select the image to see an example of an informational training and reach out to see how I can create a customized one for your company!
