Resounding feedback from parents who have gone through our coaching programs is how helpful it is to outline when they want to connect with work while they’re on parental leave.
Yet we hear regularly from HR leaders that they don’t ever reach out to employees on leave, largely out of fear they may violate policies that prohibit employees from working while on leave.
We completely understand this concern, but have found two important things:
There is a BIG difference between “working” while on leave and “staying in touch with work” while on leave
An overwhelming majority of people actually do want some level of staying in touch when it comes to their careers
So why the disconnect?
To get to the bottom of this conundrum, we interviewed Danielle Pickens, a Parentaly coach and mom-of-three, about whether new parents should work or stay in touch while on leave.
Danielle is a Parentaly coach and mom of three who pivoted from a career in HR to become a career coach 10+ years ago.
Here are three questions Danielle asks employees when they’re deciding what level of work they plan to do during parental leave:
One of the first questions Danielle will ask an expecting parent why they want to stay connected or work while on parental leave.
“Is it coming from a place of, ‘I kind of want to know or be informed of what’s happening so that I can make my own plans? Is it coming from a place of, ‘I feel like I need to be there and no one else can do this?’
There is an obvious upside to letting others take over job roles while on parental leave. It allows the new parent to rest while another employee learns and grows. But there are also instances of projects or strategic planning sessions in which someone on leave might want to be involved. By getting to the bottom of the “why” they want to work, most parents are able to create a plan that works for them—whether that means they’re connected to work or completely unplugged.
2. Are you promising too much?
There’s value in the old adage, “Underpromise and overdeliver.” That’s exactly the mindset Danielle recommends for parents having their first child when they have no idea what they’re in for. “You can always give more. But it’s hard once you say, ‘I want to be in total communication with you,’” to pull back,” she said.Using herself as an example, Danielle shared that by the time she had her third child, she wanted to communicate more with her employer to get some mental stimulation beyond caring for her children. In contrast, Allison told her team she’d be keeping Slack on her phone during her third parental leave, but within 12 hours, knew she had made a mistake. She ended up removing it so she could avoid the temptation to keep an eye on things at work during the first several weeks of her leave. “Once you’ve shut it down, I think most people are surprised by how little they care about work,” she said. “And that’s a good thing.”
3. Are there specific scenarios you might want to be in communication?
Companies should set the expectation that no one on parental leave must stay connected to work. But expecting parents should be able to decide when, if at all, they’d want their employers to contact them. For example, what if their manager leaves? Or what if a position opens up that an employee who is on leave would want to apply for? What if there’s something that will dramatically and materially affect the job they’re in?”These are just a few examples Danielle mentioned that could cause returning parents to be caught off guard if they don’t know about them until they’re back.
To celebrate all we’ve accomplished, our team shared what they’re most proud of since joining the team:
I'm most proud of how much we have done to improve the single hardest moment for women's careers (going on parental leave) ... one that is often shrouded in insecurity and fear. We've been able to help advocate for so many women (and men!) in a way that is empowering and truly life-changing.
Allison Whalen, CEO & Founder
What am I most proud of? Growth! Growing a category of support that didn't exist before Parentaly. Growing from a one-woman bootstrapped operation to a global team of 25+ employees and coaches. Growing our overall impact for working parents, with companies investing in our parental leave programming to support employees all over the world. And growing as humans: new babies, new friends, new life experiences... all while tackling new and exciting work challenges together.
Rich Burke, Head of Growth
When I reflect on what I am personally most proud of during my time here, it's working alongside a team where we constantly evolve and optimize everything that we do in order to deliver the best possible experience for the folks going through our programs. It sounds cheesy, but there are processes that my team and I used to do 100% manually that are now completely automated and systems in place that have become second nature to how we operate. Working with such thoughtful, smart, and creative people is incredible.
Sara Ophoff, Senior Program Manager
I’m most proud about doing work that makes parents feel confident and empowered about their careers during a time that can be overwhelming and challenging – not only for our clients and users who go through Parentaly’s programs, but also with our advocacy work on LinkedIn, through our podcast and other big campaigns that make a difference. It’s been pretty rewarding to build a brand people know and love because what we’re doing resonates with so many employees’ experiences in the workforce.
Jenna Vassallo, Head of Brand & Marketing
I am so proud of the way we've approached growth with such care and intentionality - with every adjustment we've made to our offerings, we've never lost sight of our goal to provide the most supportive and valuable experience for our users. I love looking back on the early stages of conversations and building that have led us to the experience we offer today. Personally, I am extremely proud of the work I've done to scale and automate our backend!
Rachel Andes, Program Associate
I am most proud of the work we do every single day to make a positive impact on working parents! Everyday I get to work with an amazing group of people…we work hard but we also have fun.
Sarah Gruber, Client Partner
I'm proud of scaling an employee experience that consistently delivers positive outcomes for new parents and their organizations. Our north star has always been the user, and we never sacrifice our high quality bar!
Mansi Kothari, VP of Product & Experience
I feel a sense of pride that I get to work behind the scenes supporting everyone. I’m proud to see all of the collaboration between the team and how Parentaly positively impacts employees.
Leo Manalo, Executive Assistant
I'm most proud of going through the Parentaly program myself! I'm so proud to work for and promote this company in a time where parental leave and supportive policies are at the forefront of a national conversation. But beyond this, I'm most proud to call myself a participant.
Emmy Carragher, Enterprise Partnerships
I’m really proud of the work I did to expand our coaching bench globally at Parentaly. It was so rewarding, not to mention insightful, to connect with talented coaches from around the globe. This expansion not only enriched our coaching offerings but also strengthened our commitment to making a meaningful impact on families all over the world.
I have tremendous pride in the knowledge that what I am doing will change the career landscape for new parents, particularly mothers. This will make it more likely that my daughter can have a career AND a family without worrying about the unintentional negative impact of taking parental leave. Nothing makes me prouder than that.
Mindy Himmel-Brown, Strategic Partnerships
In my short time at Parentaly, I'm proudest of the work we're doing with our clients' ERG groups to elevate the stories and advice of actual working parents. It's such an impactful way to spread the word about Parentaly as an essential resource for all people growing their families, and the managers who support them!
Alex Diskin, Enterprise Account Manager
I'm most proud about using LinkedIn to connect with others. I was recently able to share a helpful return to work doc with 50+ new people looking to make a difference at their company. Was pretty cool that people from Chewy, McDonald's, Honda, Cisco, AWS, Walmart and more want to integrate just a piece of what we have to offer. Also...I'm so proud of the way I feel as an employee at Parentaly. For the first time in my career my personal interests align with my professional interests and I've never felt more motivated.
Jenny Hurwitz, Strategic Partnerships
I'm really proud of being able to help the Experience team by handling the supportive functions so they can focus on the bigger picture. It feels great to know that I’m making things easier for them and contributing to the team’s success.
James Mango, Executive Assistant
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Leave planning
Podcast recap
Want to dive deeper into the difference between working and staying connected with work while on parental leave?
