ALT-8 Maternitypaternity Leave Planning Ahead
There are many things to consider when preparing for the new arrival of a baby. One thing of great importance is planning ahead for your maternity or paternity leave. If you plan on taking a leave of absence from your employment, it is best to make sure you have everything well thought out and planned far in advance.
Talk With your Supervisor
The first step you should take is sitting down with your immediate supervisor and telling him or her exactly what you are planning in terms of your leave of absence. They will want to know if you plan on starting your leave prior to your due date or if you plan on working up to the point you go into labor. Also share with them any ideas you have for making the transition run smooth.
Human Resources
The next step in planning for your leave is to talk with your Human Resources Department. They will have all the information you need on company policies pertaining to a leave of absence. They will also be able to tell you what you need in regards to paperwork and doctors notices. Make sure you fill out all paperwork necessary well in advance of your last day before leave. If your company pays for medical or maternity leave, this will help ensure that you still get paid without any gaps.
Training Your Replacement
Chances are you will have someone filling in for you while you are on your leave of absence. It would be ideal to have this person chosen in advance so you have time to train them. Make sure they are well prepared to do the daily tasks of what your job entails, but also plan ahead for any tasks that are not done on a daily basis. If there are parts of your job that are only done on a monthly basis, for instance, they will also need to be trained for that. Train with your replacement as long as possible, and keep your supervisor informed of how the training is progressing. By doing this, your supervisor can determine if more training is needed or if another replacement would be more ideal.
Documenting Your Role
Something else to consider is to have written instructions on the various parts of your job for your replacement to have available for reference. Write down detailed explanations on each part of your job. While writing down these instruction, try to remember what it was like when you were first learning your job. What questions did you have? Remember that while what you do may now come as second nature to you, someone who is filling in may need additional information. You might also encourage your replacement to take down notes of their own for reference.
Checking In and Being Available
Once you begin your leave, check in frequently to see if your replacement has any problems, concerns or questions. You may also consider leaving a number and/or email where you can be reached in case a problem arises needing immediate attention.
Returning to work after maternity or paternity leave may be stressful on a personal level. By helping to make sure your job was run smoothly and efficiently while you were absent, you can cut down considerably on any stress you may experience on a professional level once you return to work.
