Preparing for parental leave

These are the steps I went through when preparing for parental leave in 2017 and 2019. They may not be directly applicable to your situation, but hopefully they’ll give you a sense of the types of things to think about.

Ownership areas

Write a giant list of:

• Team maintenance things you do

• Current projects

• Upcoming projects

• Repeating meetings you're in

• Career development plans for direct reports during the time you’re out (top level)

Then delegate each one to a person (even things you think you'll finish).

• For current projects, write out what you need to do to finish it

• For upcoming projects, write out what you need to do to prep, and what the steps are to finish it

• These notes can be top-level, but make them clear enough that someone can step in and take over in an emergency (eg, baby comes early)

• Share the doc with your boss in case there's an emergency

• Cancel recurring meetings (eg, 1:1s), or delegate a new facilitator (eg, team meetings)

• If you're in-office, write out anything you need to do in that area (eg, return library books) and do it ASAP

Create brain dump docs:

• Thoughts on direct reports for anyone doing performance reviews while you're away

• Self evaluation thoughts for anyone doing performance reviews of you

• Prep for any new direct reports onboarding

• The type of things people tend to ask you, with basic answers/who they should talk to instead

Logistics

Prep logistics:

• If you're not good about email work/life balance, set up a filter to put all emails automatically into a folder. People will get through to you if there's a real disaster

• Set up auto responders

• Performance reviews: If they'll happen while you're out, find out how that works

• Cancel any commuter benefits, and write out what you'll need to do to reinstate them (and when). Set a reminder to reinstate them

• Request remaining PTO if needed

• Plan to bring your work computer home (in non-pandemic times) and ensure you have VPN access. It's v. annoying to deal with HR issues (eg, getting the kid on your insurance) without this.

If flexibility is an option, plan for your return:

• Have a tentative return date (eg, "I plan to return on X date two days a week") while reinforcing that you don't know what the future holds.

• Set a date for getting in touch and making a final decision (eg, 1 month/2 weeks before planned return date).

Assume you'll remember nothing, and write out:

• All the meetings you canceled that you'll need to reschedule

• What to do to catch up on any routine maintenance systems (eg, I follow specific Jira tickets, need to follow all the new ones that were made while I was out)

• Projects and other things you want to put back on your radar (trainings, etc)

One month before returning

While on leave, ~1 month before returning:

• If you're breastfeeding and returning to the office, find out what the situation is with pumping (eg, my office had a room that you needed to book. It had a communal pump, but you needed to have your own specific parts)

• If you're pumping at the office, ensure those times are booked off for your whole first week.

• Deal with any commuter benefit stuff

Thumbnail image credit: @corinarainer