For career-driven employees considering starting a family, parental leave often plays a major factor in financial planning. The United States is the only industrialized country in the world with no federal paid parental leave program, and only six states plus Washington D.C. have paid family leave programs. According to a study by Octavia Health, one in three women won’t return to the workforce after having a baby.
Companies looking to retain talent after parental leave (and save money in new hiring costs), can take certain measures.
To start, employers can offer longer and paid parental leave. The Family and Medical Leave Act prescribes 12 weeks of parental leave, but the average length most companies offer employees is closer to 10 weeks. The National Bureau of Economic Research states that longer maternity leave is associated with lower depression rates in women. Mother’s rooms, child care assistance and flexible work schedule are other resources that can ease the pressure of returning to work full time.
We asked four tech professionals about how they prepared for parental leave, as well as how they experienced re-entering the workforce. Besides utilizing their companies’ benefits, they mentioned the importance of weekly planning, self care and reaching out to other parents.
Pampered Chef is an e-commerce store that sells kitchen products and provides recipes to make cooking easier and stress free — two adjectives new moms love. Senior UX Architect Bree Mangun said that hacking weeknights with pre-made meals simplified her schedule, while writing maintaining checklists at work kept her organized.
What steps did you take to prepare for your return to the office after parental leave?
I reached out to my friends and co-workers a few days before coming back to catch up. It helped me know what projects I was coming back to. I also made extensive lists. I had a list of what to bring to work each day and then a list of notes for childcare for each of my three kids.
What were the biggest challenges you faced after returning to work, and how did you overcome them?
I really wanted to hit the ground running when I got back from leave, but that’s hard when you’ve been focusing on taking care of a tiny human for three months. It took some time to ramp up on new projects. I tried to be patient and get acclimated to everything I missed, and after a few weeks, I had some great projects and was working toward delivering results again.
Whatever you have to do to make life easier on yourself is totally acceptable.”
What advice would you give to other parents returning to work?
Hack your weeknights! I used to cook each night, but I ordered pre-made meals the first few months because nights were so hectic. Whatever you have to do to make life easier on yourself is totally acceptable. It’s also nice to have a network of parent friends at work. They offer tips when you need them, get you coffee when you’re tired and can laugh with you about all the stuff you endure as a parent.
Prizes from the Illinois lottery, operated by Camelot Illinois, occasionally give winners the option to decide whether they want to work or not. But most new moms don’t win the lottery. When Director of Digital Sales Monika McMahon came back to work, she was open about reaching out to HR and other moms for advice as a new parent.
What steps did you take to prepare for your return to the office after parental leave?
When I first found out I was pregnant, I joined a Reddit group for women who were also due the same month as me. This group was for women all over the world who were due in August. Some were first-time moms like myself, while others were second-time, third-time, and even fourth-time moms! I leaned on them and their knowledge and experiences regarding balancing a baby, work, daycare, pumping, commuting and more so that I could prepare myself both physically and mentally to come back to work.
I was also strategic in how I came back and was able to take it slow so that I could get used to my new routine. I came back feeling ready to jump back in. Taking some time to myself on Sunday night to prepare everything I need for the week has been key to making me feel ready for work.
Take your time and do what feels right.”
What were the biggest challenges you faced after returning to work, and how did you overcome them?
One of the biggest challenges that concerned me before I came back was how I was going to juggle my meetings, workload and make time to pump for my baby. Camelot Illinois made sure I had everything I needed in terms of the mother’s room at work, and I’ve been able to block my calendar to ensure I have time to take for myself. Everyone has been supportive and understanding.
What advice would you give to other parents returning to work?
Take your time and do what feels right. Reach out to other moms and HR at work and ask for advice on how to handle any situation you’re uncertain about. Between my co-workers, HR and the Reddit group I joined, I have a large pool of people to turn to when I need advice on how to navigate any situation.
Collective Health is a healthtech company with a mission to make health insurance work for everyone. When caring for a newborn, Engineering Manager Kwesi Leggett said patience is more than a virtue, it’s a necessity. As a new father, he transitioned back into full-time work by periodically checking email during leave and then working a few days from home.
What steps did you take to prepare for your return to the office after parental leave?
Throughout my parental leave I periodically checked my email and Slack so I wouldn’t come back to thousands of missed messages and have no idea what was going on.
I also joined in over video on some of the company all-hands meetings to keep up with what was going on. As far as at home, my wife and I came up with a new schedule that would work for both of us. This included allowing me to sleep overnight since she could nap during the day with the baby. We also defined some of the responsibilities each of us would have around caring for our child so she wouldn’t get stuck with everything by default.
What were the biggest challenges you faced after returning to work, and how did you overcome them?
Operating on less overall sleep is a big challenge. Your body adjusts eventually, but it can be a rough go for a while. I had to move my bedtime up to try and get a little more sleep. Keeping work separate from home life was also a challenge. I was used to being able to stay late if I needed to, whenever I needed to. That is not possible with a baby at home. I became more organized around my schedule, picking one or two days during the week to do work at home after the baby went to sleep. The other days were fully focused on family time.
Be sure to take care of yourself.”
What advice would you give to other parents returning to work?
It’s all about patience: patience with your child, patience with your partner and patience with yourself. You can’t expect to pick up right where you left off. You need to give yourself time to acclimate to working a full week. Recognize that babies can be very stressful. It’s okay to be angry and frustrated sometimes. Hopefully you have your partner or someone else to help support you through the tough moments. Be sure to take care of yourself. You can’t take care of your baby if you run yourself into the ground. Take some you time every once in a while to reset and refresh. Allow your partner to do the same.
VelocityEHS’s software helps companies reach environmental, health, safety and sustainability goals faster. When Authoring Services Manager Lauren Prost wanted to reach her goal of returning to work full-time, she reached out to HR and started working at home first before transitioning back fully to the office.
What steps did you take to prepare for your return to the office after parental leave?
I was lucky to work remotely for a couple of months after my maternity leave ended before returning to the office full time. My son Julien was born with a congenital heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot and had three surgeries during his first year. Suffice to say, his father and I were extra nervous new parents. Working from home those first couple months allowed me to transition slowly back into my work while keeping an eye on my newborn. I also attended postpartum yoga classes with Julien, which helped with bonding, recovery and stress management.
What were the biggest challenges you faced after returning to work, and how did you overcome them?
For me, the biggest challenge was balancing my new role as a parent and being realistic about what I could accomplish at work. I knew how much I could take on before, but recovering from giving birth is serious business. I was constantly prioritizing.
Working from home allowed me to transition slowly back into my work while keeping an eye on my newborn.”
What advice would you give to other parents returning to work?
Talk to your direct supervisor and HR early and often. Let them know before you go on maternity leave what you think you will need in order to transition back to work. If you can come up with a plan before going on leave, you’ll have an idea of what to expect and know who to talk to when things inevitably change.
