3 Steps to Stress-Free Leave Planning with Parento’s Parental Leave Planner

While more companies are offering parental leave, that also means it’s gotten more complicated. Policies vary from company to company, while paid parental leave can be a mish-mash of programs and PTO coordination that leaves both employees and employers’ heads spinning. Despite parental leave being a critical stage of bonding for new parents, many give up or experience significant delays and loss of pay managing their time off. To help expecting parents plan a better parental leave, our parental leave planner was designed to guide employees through the planning process.  

Download the Parental Leave Planner

Plan Ahead and Start Early

Planning a parental leave is more than just blocking off dates on a calendar. It’s about reducing stress and getting organized ahead of time to set the right tone for the upcoming parental leave. BetterUp found that 2 in 5 working parents find that preparing for parental leave, including navigating policies and planning for absence, is moderately to extremely burdensome, with new parents spending 43 hours navigating their parental leave options. That doesn’t even include offloading projects or making arrangements at home. 

With varying policies, intricate coordination of paid leave, and the crucial need for early and effective planning, new parents can often feel lost and stressed. Planning ahead - at home and at work - can help improve the parental leave experience so new parents can focus on their new child rather than juggle paperwork and logistics once the parental leave begins. Starting early also helps open up positive chats between employees and their managers to coordinate successful offboarding and re-onboarding to return to work.

Colleagues and leadership will also appreciate the business continuity, while expecting parents can go on leave feeling supported. 

Step 1: Start with the logistics

Navigating parental leave can indeed be a complex and overwhelming process for both employees and employers. Part of this Parental Leave Planner includes a comprehensive approach and checklist to help new parents navigate the logistics of parental leave. This checklist includes essential items to streamline the process and stay organized. 

For example, a parental leave should start with these conversations at work:

• First, have a conversation between employee and manager about upcoming parental leave and goals. This may include leave dates, but also can include a conversation about career continuity (which is especially important for women).
• Second, have a conversation with team and colleagues to bring them into the fold for any projects and assure them that there will be communication every step of the way. It’s a great way to build relationships and trust, while setting the expectations that it’s not a permanent transition. 
• Optionally, important phone numbers and details can be shared in case the child arrives unexpectedly early. This may be useful for those who work in an office, especially for those who plan to work up to the due date or are a high risk pregnancies. 

Download the Parental Leave Planner for a checklist, templates, and guidance for planning your upcoming parental leave!

Step 2: Understand and organize paid parental leave options

Once the logistical conversations are done, the Parental Leave Planner also includes an overview of what information is needed to understand and organize paid parental leave options. While not everyone has paid parental leave available, coordinating finances and understanding parental leave eligibility is key information. 

The company policy will be a great resource to understand parental leave options, so here are key pieces of information to look for:

• Eligibility - What does the company policy look like? Some employers require tenure to qualify to take parental leave. While pregnancy is considered a medical leave, the parental leave isn’t always included, so reviewing the policy and speaking with HR is recommended. 
• Length of Leave - The company policy should also provide details on how many weeks of leave is provided, and whether it can be intermittent or needs to be continuous. This may also align with any federal or state leave laws, so again, check with HR before finalizing plans. 
• Pay During Leave - The paid leave landscape is fragmented and confusing. Employees may receive pay from the employer, state, or short term disability provider (STD) if giving birth to a child. Otherwise, the parental leave may be unpaid if there is no vacation/PTO available. Some company policies don’t even allow the use of accrued sick pay.

Even if your company doesn't have a company policy, HR should be able to confirm what’s available. Employees can record this information in the Paid Parental Leave Organizer section of the Parental Leave Planner. 

Parento is the leading provider of paid parental leave insurance, helping every company affordably support working parents. If you’re a parent looking for help advocating for paid parental leave at your workplace, check out Gimme Parental Leave.

Step 3: Communicate your parental leave plan

Once logistics and paid parental leave options are clear, employees going on a parental leave should consider communicating the plans. The Parental Leave Planner includes sample out-of-office auto replies to use as templates that can be scheduled ahead of time, as well as a page summarizing all the information managers or HR may need to know. 

This plan may include:

• Expected leave dates such as estimated start date and return to work date, subject to change of course.
• Contact information and communication preferences, such as who has permission to reach you and under what circumstances.
• Project status with scope, resources, and key dates to help teammates and managers know where to pick up on projects that haven’t been wrapped up.
• Recurring meetings, including who attends and details relevant for someone who takes over.

Parento: Helping Companies Streamline Parental Leave

Having access to paid parental leave is table stakes for employees because parental leave is not a vacation. The Parental Leave Planner aids in outlining key logistical conversations, organizing financial aspects, and preparing detailed communication plans to keep everyone on the same page. That’s why we developed this resource and included templates for communicating leave plans and organizing paid parental leave options. If you’re an expecting parent, don't let the complexities of parental leave overwhelm you. Download the Parental Leave Planner to start planning ahead, ensuring a smoother, more organized, and stress-free transition into this new chapter of life. Let us help you make parental leave a positive and enriching experience for both you and your growing family!