The conversations you need to have with new parents in the first few months of returning to work

Key takeaways

• Regular check-ins in the first three months of returning to work will help your employee settle back into work, and help you get a sense of their wellbeing.

• Remind employees of the mental health resources and support available to them.

• Ensure you understand your obligations to enable breastfeeding in the workplace.

When welcoming new parents back into the workplace, it can be easy to make a fuss early on and then carry on as if they never left.

The danger in this approach is that they are no longer the same person. Their identity, responsibilities and priorities have changed. If this shift isn't acknowledged or accommodated, employees can feel isolated and quickly disengage at work.

We know many managers and employers feel awkward having what can be really personal conversations with employees. It can feel uncomfortable for employees too, but now that they have returned from leave, their needs are constantly changing around childcare, infant feeding needs and sleep schedules. It's important to create a culture of regular check-ins where employees feel comfortable raising any life-work issues they may be experiencing, so you can discuss any reasonable adjustments together.

Ask, how are you going?

Set-and-forget policies rarely work. As your employee's needs change regarding childcare or infant feeding, their work arrangements may need to be adjusted. Regular check-ins in the first three months will help them settle back in quickly and help you get a sense of their overall wellbeing. During this conversation, remind them about this platform, COPE, their free access to COPE’s Preparing for Parenthood course and any employee assistance programs you have to help with the emotional adjustment during this transition.

Ask, what small adjustments could we make?

Not all workplaces can support unconditional levels of flexibility. For example, a hairdresser can't work from home, nor can a pharmacist dispensing medication. Depending on the nature of your business, you may receive a tricky request for flexibility that you can't accommodate.

Being open to other ideas is what makes a difference here. Perhaps the request won't work now but may in the future. If your employees are in a customer-facing environment, a job share arrangement or breaking long shifts into shorter shifts might help parents better navigate this transition. Other options include reducing or adjusting hours, condensing the work week to a nine-day fortnight, or a job redesign. If you need to deny a request, be respectful and ensure you give reasons that meet the reasonable business grounds criteria. And keep talking about small adjustments that can still make a difference, even if they are initially on a trial basis to see what works.

Discuss infant feeding needs (if applicable)

Breastfeeding is a protected right at work. If you are the employer of a parent who is breastfeeding, you are obligated to provide facilities for them to breastfeed, express and store breast milk. This means a private room (not a toilet or bathroom), a suitable and comfortable chair and fridge space to store expressed milk where practicable.

Breastfeeding employees will also need to take adequate breaks to feed or express. No two babies have the same feeding schedule, so trust your employee to anticipate their specific needs. Failure to allow breaks or facilities means you could be at risk of discriminating against the employee or breaking health and safety laws.

You can read more about supporting breastfeeding employees here.

Consider connecting parents to each other

If you have other employees who have returned from parental leave, see if the returning parent would like to connect with them . Talking to someone who has returned from parental leave can help the new parent feel less alone and become a much-needed source of support.