When I had my kids I was lucky to be able to take a week or two, and it certainly wasn’t easy coming back. As such I’m really invested in making sure my team gets the opportunity to have more breathing room around parental leave than I did. Here’s my checklist of activities.

Recommendation	Description
Plan early	As soon as you are notified of the upcoming leave, start discussing transition plans, coverage needs, and expectations.
Create a transition plan	Work with the employee to document key responsibilities, ongoing projects, contacts, and critical information.
Be supportive	Recognize this as an important life event and avoid making employees feel guilty about taking leave.
Maintain appropriate contact	Establish expectations upfront for communication during leave.
Plan for re-entry	Schedule a meeting before the employee returns to bring them up to speed on changes.
Be flexible upon return	Consider gradual return options and be open to flexible work arrangements.
Focus on outputs	Trust that the employee can still perform at a high level, even if their work style changes.
Provide mentoring support	Connect returning parents with other employees who have successfully navigated parental leave.
Review compensation fairly	Ensure taking leave doesn’t unfairly impact compensation or advancement opportunities.
Use leave as an opportunity	Identify ways to improve processes or develop other team members’ skills.
Communicate effectively	Be transparent about leave plans and delegate responsibilities clearly.
Trust and empower	Create growth opportunities for team members by delegating responsibilities.