Planning Parental Leave for Improved Wellbeing

Becoming a parent, or becoming a parent again, is one of the most transformative experiences an individual can have in their life. For many, it is followed shortly thereafter by another important milestone—becoming a working parent. Veterinary professionals who are expecting the addition of a child to their lives, whether by pregnancy, adoption, or surrogacy, will also have to contend with whatever additional stressors are present in their workplace and their personal lives. One of the ways to ease the stress of this time of change is to plan out parental leave well ahead of time. This can help expectant and new parents feel more certainty and support, which can improve their physical and mental wellbeing. 

The Benefits of Parental Leave

Parental leave is an essential period of healing for birthing parents and an important time for all parents to be actively engaged in caring for and bonding with their young child. It has been shown to have long lasting positive effects on the physical and mental health of parents and children.

Parents who receive paid leave, and those who receive longer periods of leave, have been shown to experience lower rates of intimate partner violence and improved physical and mental health. Additionally, birthing parents were found to be twice as successful at stress management and maintaining a regular exercise routine when they had paid parental leave when compared to those who did not. The new baby benefits from parental leave in the form of longer periods of breastfeeding (when possible and desired) and lower rates of trauma (such as shaken baby syndrome).  

In studies looking at paternity leave specifically, fathers reported developing a closer bond with their child when they took leave and participated more actively in caretaking and other household tasks both during their leave and for years after their leave ended. Fathers also reported feeling that their work caring for their children during their leave was “very meaningful” at almost twice the rate they reported feeling the same about their paid work. At the same time, fathers who took paternity leave reported feeling increased appreciation for their employers for the opportunity. 

The Benefits of a Good Plan

Having a well planned parental leave can give expectant parents a sense of security and predictability. There is very little that can be definitively planned with pregnancy and other pathways to parenthood. Knowing which leave options are available early in pregnancy can reduce anxiety and give expecting parents the opportunity to determine how much leave they can afford. It also gives them more time to save up money to help cover any portion of leave that will not be paid.  

Successful planning of parental leave can also greatly increase how supported and valued parents feel. When their employer listens to their needs, is open and receptive, and adopts policies that benefit the physical and mental health of the parent(s) and child, it shows that they value the parent and want to do everything they can to help them be successful both personally and professionally. This can make a huge difference in the parent’s comfort level with returning to work after welcoming their child and staying with the practice long term. 

Ways to Improve the Planning Experience

Employers in veterinary medicine can improve the planning experience by doing their own preparatory work and creating a culture of transparency and psychological safety. Every veterinary employer or manager should understand the parental leave offerings provided by their corresponding province, state, or other locality and all applicable laws with respect to job-protected leave.  

Using this information, employers can determine if they will supplement any available governmental coverage with a paid parental leave policy to provide the new parent with coverage for all or part of their parental leave. Even if an employer feels that they are unable to provide fully paid parental leave options, offering partially paid leave options can significantly improve the parental leave experience for new parents.  

Once a parental leave policy has been created, it should be well described in the practice’s employee manual and easily accessible to all personnel without them having to ask their manager for it. Individuals who announce that they or their partner are expecting a child should be given a copy of the parental leave policy for their review and have opportunities to ask questions and address any concerns.  

As the expectant parent prepares to take their leave, employers can support them by facilitating the offboarding of any ongoing projects or cases to other personnel before the leave is expected to begin. They can also work to create a keeping in touch (KIT) plan so that everyone knows how much and what types of communication the parent wants to have with work while on leave. These steps can reduce the parent’s stress level as they prepare to shift their focus from the workplace to their new child.  

Working with a Parental Leave Coach

In recent years, a new support option has become available to both expecting parents and their employers: the parental leave coach. Parental leave coaches are trained in executive coaching and the specific needs of expectant and new parents. They can act as objective guides who confidentially help the parent navigate this important transition in their life with empathy and compassion. In some cases, the parental leave coach also works with the employer to ensure they have the tools they need to support parents in the workplace. Parental leave coaching is growing in popularity as an essential workplace benefit for expectant and new parents.  

Whether parents and their employers utilize the services of a parental leave coach or not, they can make the transition from worker to parent to working parent smoother, less stressful, and more fulfilling with proactive and thoughtful parental leave planning.