Mahima Chawla’s Post

Which of the 500 largest U.S. public companies score highest on paid parental leave? It's been hard to get a reliable answer to that question because there hasn't been a comprehensive database that compares companies' paid parental leave policies. Until now. Hillary Cookler, PhD candidate at UCLA Anderson School of Management, has developed a valuable new online resource that rates the 500 largest U.S. pubic companies on both the transparency and quality of their paid parental leave policies. To find out which companies topped the list - and why this new database is a win-win for both employees and companies - read my latest Forbes article: https://lnkd.in/gUp-hc82 University of San Francisco School of Law University of San Francisco theSkimm JUST Capital Adobe American Express Hewlett Packard Enterprise Lam Research Live Nation Entertainment META Technology Platforms Netflix PayPal Salesforce Workday #paidleave

Nearly half of our employees have taken parental leave within the past two years and it has drastically IMPROVED our business. Read that again. When done right, parental leave helps employees up-level their careers AND expedite business goals for the company. And fortunately for us, Parentaly knows a few things about how to use parental leave to our advantage. 😉 Yes, parental leave changes the way teams operate - and that can feel disruptive. But it's really all about how you approach it. If you design parental leave planning intentionally and strategically, it becomes a career and business accelerator. Because there’s nothing like the immovable deadline of welcoming a child as a forcing function to work better and faster. #parentalleave

Why is there suddenly more conversation around being made redundant on parental leave? Is it because it's happening more in our industry? Is it because we are becoming braver in speaking up? Is it because we are done with the shame and ready for change? This Thursday, the 9th of May 12pm AEST come and join myself and Creative Natives founder Ryan Kelly as we sit down and talk about what to do next, if you're made redundant on parental leave. 🫶🏼 We want people to tune into this conversation to give some support on how you can navigate through this if it happens to you 🫶🏼 We want companies to listen and understand the crippling impact this can have on your culture and brand 🫶🏼 We want to create some action, and with your help, we will. So come along. Register on the link below. Like this post, tag someone in this post, share this post. Let's help make some positive change for return to work parents and make this industry friggen better. #CreativeNatives #ReturnToWorkParents #RedundancyWebinar 🔥 Register Here: https://lnkd.in/gtTPyRiT

Why should companies invest in paid parental leave? It's about more than just time off; it's about supporting your team through major life changes. Learn how this can lead to happier, more productive employees. Read our full analysis here. 👇https://ow.ly/rx8w30sC9bu

Does anyone actually care about paid parental leave? Some of the most popular posts on the Parentaly page were about… 💙 Intuit offering 16 weeks of paid leave  ❤️ Citi increasing its policy to up to 24 weeks 🧡 Nike doubling paid leave to provide 16 weeks 💙 Zillow providing up to 20 weeks of paid leave 🖤 Volvo Group creating campaigns so folks will use their full 24 weeks of paid leave And these are just a few recent examples of people getting fired up when companies take matters into their own hands since there's no federal paid leave mandate in the U.S. Because yes, paid parental leave is something many candidates and employees care deeply about. #parentalleave #policy #benefits

I work with Human Resources and caregiver employee resource groups, to support parents, often to update policies and practices. Leaders, if you can prioritize one thing to improve retention and morale, take a close look at how your org handles parental (and even unplanned) leaves. Paternity leaves are on the rise and what happens before, during and after parental leave for moms, often determines whether or not she stays in her role. The first year of a baby's life, is also a critical window to improve mental and physical health outcomes for moms, parents, and babies, so flexibility and support at work is crucial. I had the pleasure of speaking with Tara Weiss Bronstein about this for the The Wall Street Journal. She covers a lot of great options in the article (subscription required) and here are a couple of key takeaways. 1. Get creative about coverage while people are out. Yes, consider temporary hires or contractors, but internships for current employees provide invaluable experience and "returnship" programs are amazing to re-skill displaced workers. 2. Pre-game the return to work, not just the parental leave. Most new parents need to revisit their schedules and priorities during what is often a foggy-sleep-deprived haze post baby. The parent who gave birth, is also going through a physical and emotional recovery that may require ongoing medical care. 3. Take the lead as an organization. Absolutely get input from moms, dads and parents about their parental leave plans. But please don't leave it to them to choreograph the whole thing. Most people don't know what they'll need in advance or how the organization can best support them. #parentalleave #FMLA #employeeexperience #workingmothers #workingparents #familyfriendlypolicies #managertraining

Why should companies invest in paid parental leave? It's about more than just time off; it's about supporting your team through major life changes. Learn how this can lead to happier, more productive employees. Read our full analysis here. 👇https://ow.ly/r5Mc30sCufX

Parental leave allows parents to bond without the stress of having to work and meet expectations in the workplace. This is vital to maintain a healthy relationship between employee and employer, and also between employees and managers. Often times when people aren't offered parental leave, they can feel burdened by the feeling that they're letting their team down or letting the company down because they want to spend time with their new family. This leads to resentment in the company and then unhappiness. If parents choose to not take time, they lose out on so much valuable milestones and time that can't be taken back. It's just not a good outcome either way. Shoutout to all the companies out there that provide time to mothers and fathers.

Paid leave is an essential step towards closing gender inequities in the workplace, but it's not a complete solution. When employers don't provide support around employees' transition into leave or back to work, even parents who have access to generous leave plans may find their careers thrown off track. Failure to provide comprehensive support also disincentivizes non-birthing parents from taking leave, and poor planning around leave coverage can lead to burnout among other team members. I have represented high-performing workers whose careers were derailed, job responsibilities changed, or who missed out on promotions or other opportunities after taking parental leave. Even at companies with generous paid leave policies, this is employment discrimination, and it needs to end.

It's 2024, and I'm sad to say that an upgrade to the parental leave policies at most workplaces is still long overdue. Parents make up a huge chunk of the workforce, and those who aren't parents now will be in the future. So, it is important that you make your employees feel supported and valued through this shift in their personal lives so they can continue bringing their A-game to the table. Building employee-driven policies is the master step you can take while expanding your organization. I want to help you create policies to make your business thrive. DM me today to learn how I can help you. #policymaking #parentalleave #maternityleave #parentperks #employeebenefits