When the baby arrives: Part II Strategies for smooth maternity and parental leave transition

The announcement of an employee’s addition to the family, though a joyous moment, may leave a business owner inclined to tantrum. For a small business to onboard a new employee, and re-familiarize the returning employee with changes in company processes and new clients, is costly. Not to mention, the temporary departure of an employee can incur costs for advertising the position, scouting and interviewing candidates, and reviewing resumes and reference checks. Also, paying CPP and EI for two employees during transition periods adds up. Maternity and parental leaves can be easier on you, your team, and the departing employee, however, with some planning ahead.   

Strategies for smooth leave transitions

• Recruit early: leaving interviews and candidate selection to the last minute can put pressure on you and the rest of your team
• Don’t hire someone new: instead, spread the work out over several employees; however, beware of disgruntled employees carrying extra work load; also, if your company hires people in their child bearing years, you may have more than one mat leave at once
• Plan to keep the new hire: after the return of the maternity or parental leave; if you are a growing company, this may work to your advantage 
• Reassign duties: give the returning employee a change of scenery; offer them different (but equivalent) duties, if they are in agreement
• Suggest a transition position: ask the maternity/parental leave if they are available to deal with clients on an occasional basis to help bridge the change in relationships with clients

Employing young, vibrant talent often means working with professionals in their childbearing years, and increasingly, both women and men are taking time away from work for family. Canadian Business states, “Mothers are not the only ones taking time to stay at home with their new additions to the family. Parental leaves include fathers, and more and more are partaking in the duties of the first year after birth. According to Statistics Canada, last year nearly 30% of fathers took at least some leave to be with their new baby--up from 3% a decade earlier.” Dads can take parental leave at the same time, a different time, or overlap the mother’s parental leave, but leave must be started within 52 weeks of the child’s birth, or the date the child comes into custody.  

The end of parental leave also brings forth another issue. Work-life balance. More and more, balancing professional and personal life takes precedence for women and men, often leading to requests for flex-hours and shorter work weeks. While employee work-life balance might throw your business off kilter, it may require some give and take to keep talent on staff.