A blog series where Moms at Work Founder Allison Venditti (AL) answers questions about work, motherhood, life, careers and everything in between.
First up!
Question: What good practices have you heard about from companies who support mothers well as they return to the workforce after parental leave?
For where we are at with all the advances to parental leave I think return to work is still really poorly managed! This is something that you need to have a coach for or that YOU need to do, but that employers can make a few really meaningful changes to do well.
I have written a lot about the issues with parental leave and I will drop resources and articles at the bottom if you want to read more but I have 3 things that we know make return to work fundamentally better!
1. Ask Before They Leave (and Respect the Answer)
Ask the employee - yes it is that simple. Before someone goes on parental leave you should have a checklist and ask them a few questions including:
- Do you want to be kept on our email list to get updates about job postings etc?
- Do you want to be invited to company events (holiday party, bbq etc)?
- When would you like us to reach out to you to start planning your return to work (we recommend 6-8 weeks before your return)?
- What is the best way to contact you while on leave? (Email, phone, other)
Giving people choices and setting expectations is so helpful in keeping employees connected while also giving them space to enjoy their leave
2. Make Graduated Return to Work the Standard
Graduated Return - GRTW (graduated return to work) is the gold standard that is used to bring employees back after a workplace injury or disability. It should be used to return ANY employee who has been on ANY kind of leave to help both employer and employee transition. This looks like starting 2 days a week, then moving up to 3 then 4 and finally back to 5 days a week (there are lots of variations - we have planning examples and checklists here: http://www.myparentalleave.ca) We know this works - it has been studied multiple times, we just don’t apply it to parents.
3. Don’t Wait for Employees to Ask for Flexibility
Ask about flexibility - it is really hard for folks returning from leave to ask for what they need. Provide a list of options for the first few months or year that they could use to make this transition easier. Do they need to change hours and start earlier? Do they know what their sick leave allotment is? Do they know how to use personal days to care for kids? Is there something else that would be helpful? Legally parents are protected under family status accommodation but usually that requires they to ask and PROVE they need flexibility or accommodation. We can do better for our employees, our most valuable assets, the people who make our companies run. Ask them what they need. Nothing builds loyalty faster.
Resources and more ideas about parental leave:
My Parental Leave: http://www.myparentalleave.ca - Moms at Work created free resource answering the top 100 questions about parental leave in Canada
Want More Babies? Fix Parental Leave. - Macleans.ca - an article I wrote about improving parental leave
Fired on Maternity Leave: Moms at Work Featured in The Walrus - Moms at Work - The Walrus sat down and talked with me about the issues faced by women returning from maternity leave, our studies and how to fix this.
(Moms at Work is working and pushing for changes to Employment Insurance and to Employment law - being fired on maternity leave should come with consequences for employers and not up to women to sue for remedy)
We don’t need more advice for mothers on how to “manage the transition.”
We need workplaces that are designed to support it.
This isn’t a personal problem. It’s a workplace design problem.
FAQ: Returning to Work After Parental Leave
A phased schedule that gradually increases hours to support a smoother transition back.
Employees are protected under family status accommodation, but often must request and justify it.
Ideally 6–8 weeks before the planned return date.
Returning to work isn’t something you should have to figure out alone.
Inside the Collective, these are the conversations we’re having every day—with women navigating this in real time.
