Returning to work after parental leave can be a challenging transition for both employees and employers. Parenthood is a life-changing journey and ensuring a seamless return to work for parents is crucial for maintaining a happy, productive workforce. At Parento, we understand the unique challenges both employers and employees face with parental leave, so we’ve developed a robust Return-to-Work Toolkit designed to help companies - HR teams and direct managers - develop a successful re-onboarding strategy. Our goal is to help you provide the best employee experience to reduce risk and prevent turnover.
We will delve into the key elements of a four-step process to implement a Return-to-Work plan, including a sample 6-month calendar, and best practices to help you guide more employees back to work from leave feeling supported and engaged.
It is no surprise that many parents struggle with returning to work after having a child, but most employers “wing” their re-onboarding process expecting to pick up where they left off. However, a strategic Return-to-Work Plan helps employers ensure successful transitions for employees returning from parental leave, reducing turnover while increasing engagement and productivity. The statistics speak for themselves: 30% of women quit the year they have a child and for those who do return to work after leave, there’s a 30% decrease in productivity for returning new moms without employer support. These numbers highlight the significance of having a well-crafted Return-to-Work plan in place.
For a parental leave, this may look like touchpoints across a six month timeline that actively engages parents both before and after their leave. It is essential to recognize that no two parental leaves are alike, and a well-designed Return-to-Work plan should be inclusive to cater to the needs of all parents, including birthing, non-birthing, adoptive, and foster parents.
A clear and comprehensive Return-to-Work plan sets expectations and goals for both employees and employers, reducing the potential for miscommunication and facilitating a successful re-onboarding process.
By proactively planning for an employee's upcoming parental leave (and return), employers can provide a structured supportive experience that encourages a smooth transition back to work. Here are best practices and four essential steps for implementing a successful Return-to-Work plan:
Employers should ensure that their existing paid parental leave policy is compliant with EOCC regulations, covering all types of parents and remote or out-of-state employees equitably. Familiarization with state and federal benefit programs, including FMLA and state leave entitlements, is crucial.
Planning for an upcoming parental leave should involve the employee, their direct manager, and the HR team. Setting touchpoints, reviewing existing projects and responsibilities, and ensuring no gaps in benefits and pay are critical. If there’s a leave of absence manager or third party involved, make those introductions.
The toolkit includes this Checklist plus a Sample Parental Leave Calendar with touchpoints to help you plan a successful re-onboarding program for employees returning from leave.
Establishing a communication bubble during the initial month of leave and designating a primary contact (e.g. manager or HR) helps maintain transparency and reduces overwhelm for the employee. Proactively connecting employees with parental support, coaching, or ERGs is also beneficial. How do we know? Parento has over a 10% utilization rate for employee coaching, which is higher than the average EAP program of 1-3% utilization.
Keeping employees connected is key! When an employee returns from leave, meet them where they are and support tangible and non-tangible needs. A well-designed re-onboarding process and regular 1-1 check-ins help re-familiarize employees with projects and ensure ongoing support for up to four months after returning. This ongoing support beyond the return to work is critical.
Parento’s comprehensive paid parental leave and wraparound support helps companies provide an exceptional re-onboarding experience from parental leave. Parento has helped companies successfully guide over 95% of parents back to work full-time and on average, parents use an average of 13 hours of 1-1 parent coaching. This level of personalization and care ensures that each employee receives the necessary support and guidance throughout the re-onboarding process, mitigating concerns before they reach HR.
Just listen to what one of our clients had to say: "Having someone available to ask questions to, to help with the forms, to provide some direction was invaluable. It's one thing to offer maternity leave, but it's another thing entirely to personalize it." - Mother in STEM + Parento Parent, 2022.
80% of employees are or will be parents, so employers can make a positive impact on the lives of their employees and create a workplace where working parents can thrive with an intentional Return-to-Work plan. The Return-to-Work Toolkit will provide you with valuable direction and best practices to get started. By following the recommended steps in the Return-to-Work Toolkit, employers can mitigate risks, reduce turnover, and create a supportive and inclusive work environment for their parent employees.
