If you’re reading this, CONGRATULATIONS!! We are excited for your growing family! We want your maternity leave to be as smooth as possible and for you to not have to think about work but instead to cherish this time with your new baby. Here is our transition process, expectations and other helpful information you may need as you prepare for your upcoming maternity leave.
Question: How much time do I get off??
Because you are a contracted team member, we do not offer paid maternity leave. However, we do strongly encourage you to take as much time as you need off. This may look differently for everyone, and different roles may require more time off than others. Our team members typically take somewhere between 4 and 12 weeks off. The amount of time you take off is totally up to you and as long as you go out on maternity leave in good standing, your position will be held and we’ll look forward to your return!
For example, Team Leads are on weekly calls with clients where they must look professional and not have newborn spit up in their hair. Therefore, a Team Lead may choose to take more time vs. someone on our team who does not have to physically be present on scheduled calls. Again, this is up to you and what works best for your family!
Once you are ready to share your pregnancy, here are the action items for you to take:
- Email Alex Webber and your Department Coordinator with your expected due date and your desired length of time off.
- (2) months out from your expected due date, please email your Department Coordinator (cc’ing Alex Webber) reminding them of your upcoming maternity leave. This will launch your coverage plan. You may soon begin working with the person who will be covering for you to make sure all questions are answered before you go out.
- The final transition – this looks differently for each role, but here is a general guide:
- Define a ramp down timeline taking into account that you may go into labor early
- Document instructions for how to complete your tasks – ask your Department Coordinator for an example or help with this
- Let your Department Coordinator & Alex know when you go into labor if it is sooner than your planned leave start date.
- Contact your Department Coordinator a few weeks before your planned return to check in and discuss your return. It’s ok to take more time. This is just to touch base and plan.
- Usually our team members will plan for a slow ramp back up – taking on a portion of your prior workload the first week and adding more based on what feels comfortable for everyone.
- Notify your Department Coordinator and the team members that are covering for you by email during your last week at work.
- Set up your auto-reply during your last week of work. It should say something like:
“Thank you for your email! I am currently out on maternity leave and will be returning <add date of expected return>. Please contact <Insert Your Department Coordinator’s name> in my absence.” - Notify Alex if anything changes or if you go into labor sooner than expected.
—————————————–
For Team Leads only – see below. This is a tentative schedule for your last few weeks before maternity leave and for the first few weeks once you return.
EXIT PLAN: Team Leads
- (2) weeks before you begin maternity leave, go ahead and add this to the bottom of your emails (below your signature line) as you wrap up work:
I will be on maternity leave from December 16th to March 1st, 2023. Please contact [email protected] for any urgent needs.
- Go ahead and schedule your auto-reply for the dates you plan to be on maternity leave, you can say something like:
“Thank you for your email! I am currently out on maternity leave and will be returning March 1st, 2023. Please contact [email protected] for any pressing needs.”
- Checklist items you can make sure have happened/will happen during your last week of work:
- Make sure that the TL’s covering for you are totally up to speed on your clients and ready for the transition
- Make videos of any recurring tasks that are specific to your clients that the TL will need to do
- Wrap up with client and ensure that the client and TL are already communicating via email and well connected
- Do a quick run through TW and make sure that all tasks are assigned to your cover, and nothing is left unassigned (or assigned to you while you’re out)
- Once the above items have been completed, you should be able to wrap up calls in your last week, say goodbye to clients, clock out and enjoy maternity leave!
RETURN PLAN: Team Leads
Week 1:
- Sit on calls and just listen in – getting up to speed on what’s been happening while you were out, showing client pictures of baby, getting reacquainted, etc.
- Sync up with covering TL and get caught up
- Begin taking back some tasks from the covering TL and begin communicating with your clients again
Week 2:
- Interact on calls – still not leading. Take back the baton from the covering TL on the call so they physically see the transition (covering TL starts the call and you will end the call).
- You are getting back in the driver’s seat on all tasks
Week 3:
- You are fully back on as TL (leading calls) and covering TL has completely rolled off