Welcoming Mom and Dad Back to Work

Welcoming Mom and Dad Back to Work

Attracting new parents to return to work can be one of the best ways to maintain a strong, vibrant workforce. Many of today's employees are well educated and highly trained. When a parent leaves the workforce to care for a child, a significant investment and resource is lost. Increasingly, companies are realizing the value of its workforce and are designing workplaces that welcome mom and dad back to the office.

Unlike other developed nations, U.S. federal law does not mandate paid time off for starting and caring for a family. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) allows up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave (providing employees have been employed for at least one year or 1,250 hours). While U.S. family leave laws differ from other developed nations, U.S. employers -- like their foreign counterparts -- make significant investments in employee training and development. That means many employers spend time and resources persuading parents to return to the company after spending time at home with a newborn.

Some notable statistics demonstrate a continued dramatic change in the U.S. workforce. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, from 2005 to 2006:

The number of families in which both parents worked rose from 61 to 62 percent.
Almost 71 percent of all mothers were employed out of the house.
56.1 percent of mothers with children less than a year old worked.

Over the same one-year period, according to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the percentage of employers offering paid maternity leave increased from 12 to 18 percent.

"Every company has a different way to calculate the cost of turnover," explains Dana Kleman, Ceridian Talent Acquisition recruiting manager. "Some companies believe the price of replacing an existing worker is equal to approximately 25 percent of their base salary. Other companies place the figure closer to 75 percent." Kleman explains that formulas for determining the cost of turnover typically include the expense of recruitment, employee training, a manager's time during the training process and temporary productivity losses. Employee replacement costs depend not only on the nature of the employee's work but how the job is classified. Generally, exempt positions are more expensive to replace than non-exempt.

Understanding the realities of why parents choose not to return to work gives employers the opportunity to provide proactive measures to help ease the stress associated with bringing a new child into the world and returning to work. Physical supports (finding doctors or midwives, breastfeeding clinics, affordable childcare), social supports (mothers' groups, online resources) and emotional supports (counseling and coaching for new parents) can be invaluable aids that allow a parent to return to work. A support system can relieve stress and increase the returning employee's peace-of-mind.

"The workplace needs to be supportive in both tangible and intangible ways," adds Mike Cipressi, clinical supervisor for LifeWorks. "When an employee is going to be a new parent it's important to be encouraging and positive. The way a new birth is celebrated and acclaimed says a lot about a workplace. And when new parents return to work, everyone should understand there will be a period of transition during which parents learn to manage new time and family responsibilities."

The organization's culture determines whether or not an employee's transition back to work is successful. If building and sustaining relationships is at the heart of your organization, the following insights may be helpful in encouraging valuable employees back to work and retaining them.

Stay in touch.
During the employee's maternity or parental leave, the employee's manager or HR representative should maintain contact to foster a feeling of connectedness. The conversations can be brief and focused on how the employee has been managing.
Examples include:
- Do you have the appropriate supports in place that you need?
- Is there anything we can do to assist you at this time?
- Do you have any concerns about coming back?
If shift work is part of the equation, a manager should consider that a shift change may be required and begin a discussion of alternatives, if appropriate, during initial conversations with the employee. Understanding the impact of the employee's life transition creates a win-win situation.
Alleviating anxiety.
One of Ceridian's retention strategies is to support individuals in their adjustment by offering the services of its LifeWorks Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Although efforts are made to help employees prepare for a smooth transition back to work, given the change in the employee's family situation, some anxiety over returning to work is understandable. When working with employees returning from a leave, it's important that HR and managers consider the degree of change that may have occurred in the organization and/or the employee's job and develop a plan that includes managing their employees through these changes. In these instances, providing access to online and EAP resources can be invaluable. Employees can contact Ceridian's LifeWorks to access counseling or coaching, information and life articles. These resources can provide support to the often overwhelmed parent.
Returning to work.
The decision to quit a job to care for a baby or children is an intensely personal decision that may leave career considerations a distant second. However, it's worthwhile for an employer to keep in touch with former employees. In this way, the possibility of a trained employee's return to the workforce is maximized and the workplace experience reflects a supportive and caring culture.