Preparing your employees for a six-month family leave
As extended family leave policies become the norm, companies must plan ahead to execute a successful transition.
The shifting expectations of the workforce are compelling companies to reconsider their HR policies and benefits, including family leave. The pandemic instilled a renewed interest in work-life balance that has led companies to reconsider their current policies in the hopes of recruiting and retaining quality workers. As such, many companies are extending their family leave policies for up to six months to help them on their journey and promote a more inclusive workplace.
Related: Pandemic driving greater business support for paid leave
As this extended family leave policy becomes less of a luxury and more of a norm, companies must think about how to meet the needs of their employees at all levels to execute a successful transition. In order to best prepare your team for a six-month absence, there are a few steps that departing colleagues should take to find the right balance before departure:
1. Use the cloud for transparency.
Before your employee takes family leave, preparing your coworkers with the proper files and documents they may need in your absence should be step one. All files should be available and accessible to colleagues via the cloud, with transition documents outlining expectations and tasks in place.
Organizing old files and creating a record of all critical information pertaining to your role (e.g., logins, rules and steps for certain assignments, project dates, etc.) can lessen the need for those covering your role to have to scramble to find information in your absence.
2. A detailed “OOO” plan.
In general, it is best to create a plan that outlines all priority items that need to get accomplished to ensure work is redistributed properly. Encouraging checkpoints to keep coworkers in line with goals will be beneficial to those assuming new tasks and responsibilities, as well as easing the transition back when your family leave ends. Tools like Asana can be used to redistribute work and assign tasks and responsibilities to other teammates upon your absence. Establishing a plan early on will verify transition expectations and allow coworkers assuming your role the time to ask questions.
In some cases, providing additional training or onboarding to give context to team members who will be taking on responsibilities may help mitigate potential confusion once you are on leave.
3. Create systems to allow the job to continue.
Before going on leave, establishing a comprehensive system of workflow can help to ease the stress of those assuming your role. Having a direct point of contact to fill your role with a clear understanding of projects and asks will allow for a seamless transition. As working parents will likely be largely unavailable for most, if not all, of their family leave, creating a system customized to your team’s needs will prevent any surprises or unexpected fire drills.
4. Treat family leave as an opportunity for growth.
For many new parents, coming to terms with their new reality can be a tough road to navigate, both professionally and personally. While the thought of being absent for six months may be overwhelming, it simultaneously creates a unique opportunity for growth for both you and your team.
Family leave should be looked at as a chance for leaders-to-be to step up in lieu of their managers, rather than an intimidating period of “waiting” for their return. Setting your coworkers up with the proper resources ahead of your leave can help to reduce these initial concerns and allow for your coworkers to step in and step up in your absence.
As leaders of other companies consider extending their family leave policies, it is important to consider the underlying benefits of supporting parents and those assuming new roles every step of the way. A more future-proofed family leave policy with a solid transition plan in place can help to assure business runs smoothly while your employee takes much-needed time off to care for their new child.
Ben Richmond is a chartered accountant and U.S. country manager at Xero, where he is responsible for driving Xero’s growth in the region. Ben has been recognized by CPA Practice Advisor as a “20 Under 40 Influencer” and was named Accounting Today’s “Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting.”
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