Created by the Center for Parental Leave Leadership, in partnership with Reproductive & Maternal Health Compass

Investing in a seamless parental leave experience is a strategic necessity for talent retention. Since many professionals reach critical growth periods in their careers during this time, proactively managing the practical and emotional realities of preparing for leave — and returning from it — is one of the most impactful ways organizations can support employees and prevent attrition of top talent. Read more in The Avoidable Crisis: Why Returning Parents Are Your Biggest Talent Leak.

Putting this into practice involves implementing a structured framework that guides employees, managers, and HR through every phase of the journey – from initial preparation through the leave period and the eventual return to work.

Parental Leave Transition Discussion Guide: Created by the Center for Parental Leave Leadership

A parental leave marks a transition for the entire team, necessitating specific support for every stakeholder. Managers require structured processes to maintain alignment, parents need clear guidance to navigate the transition, and HR must implement a reliable, repeatable system. These questions spark the essential dialogues needed to bridge these gaps.

PHASE 1 (Before): PREPARING FOR LEAVE

Proactive planning before leave sets the trajectory for the entire transition. These questions help the employee, manager, and HR begin to build a shared roadmap with the return to work already in view.

▸ For the Parent

What are your biggest concerns about this transition, and what would help ease them?
What does a successful return look like to you, and what needs to be in place before you leave for that to happen?
What does your ideal first week back look like, and what would help make your return easier?
Have you and your manager discussed and documented a clear action plan for all three phases of your transition – Preparing, During, and Returning – and shared it with relevant stakeholders? If not, what support do you need from your manager to do that?

▸ For the Manager

How confident do you feel navigating questions regarding company, state, and federal leave policies, benefits, and legal protections? If you're unsure, do you have a clear resource or point of contact to get the answers you need?
Have you asked your direct report how they're feeling, not just about logistics, but about the whole transition (and really listened to their answer)?
What does your direct report need documented, delegated, or decided before leave begins?
What will a successful return look like for this person and your whole team? What can you do to make that happen?

▸ HR Readiness Check

Do your managers understand the critical role they play in a successful three-phase leave and return transition? Have they been given the tools, training, and language to support their team members?
Are structural return-to-work supports (e.g., flexible return-to-work policies, lactation accommodations) available, confirmed, and communicated before leave begins?
What data or feedback loops are in place to track parents’ experiences across all three phases of their transition (before, during, and after leave)?

Phase 2: During Leave

Maintaining a warm relationship while honoring the boundaries an employee has set is essential for a frictionless return. These questions facilitate intentional, low-pressure connections that keep communication open without adding unnecessary stress.

▸ For the Parent

How can you set yourself up to fully disconnect from work and be present for this time, to welcome and bond with your new child, and adjust to life with your growing family?
How would you like to keep in touch while you’re away (if at all)? Consider appointing a single point of contact and agreeing on a preferred method and frequency before you leave.

▸ For the Manager

Do you know your direct report's communication preferences while they're on leave, including whether they want to be contacted at all (and whether they legally can be)?
If anything significant has changed in the workplace that they'd want to know about, do you know how to reach them in a way that honors those preferences?
What needs to be done to ensure everything is ready to warmly welcome them back? Consider technology, workspace, a clear first-day plan, and anything extra you can do to show them you understand how big a moment their return to work is.

▸ HR Readiness Check

Are you and relevant managers clear on your obligations under the PWFA and PUMP Act – both during leave and upon the employee's return? What preparations still need to be made?
Are the structural supports (e.g., flexible return-to-work policies, lactation accommodations) in place to ensure a seamless return-to-work experience for the employee? If not, are stakeholders prepared to implement them upon return?
Have all paperwork and compliance processes been completed? Is everything running as expected: pay, benefits, and insurance coverage for the new child(ren)?
How can you ensure overflow work isn’t landing entirely on the manager? Are there team members taking on extra workload who deserve recognition (verbal or monetary)?

PHASE 3 (After): RETURNING FROM LEAVE

The return-to-work phase is where the preparation truly pays off. These questions help employees, managers, and HR move beyond the mechanics of re-entry to create a meaningful transition that solidifies trust and sets the stage for the employee's next chapter.

▸ For the Parent

How much of your new home life do you want to share with your manager and colleagues? What would be helpful for them to understand about where you are right now and ways you might need extra support?
Are there projects or opportunities you want to opt into (or out of) as you re-engage? Have you communicated that with whoever needs to know?
Keeping in mind this is a short and temporary season in the longer arc of your work life, what boundaries do you need to set and protect right now to help ease your transition back? Have you communicated them to whoever needs to know?

▸ For the Manager

What does a flexible return-to-work structure look like for your direct report? What can you do to make sure they do not feel overwhelmed on their first day back, during their first week, or through their flexible return-to-work period? Have you talked to them about it?
Are you offering the same stretch assignments and development opportunities you would have offered pre-leave? Are you actively asking for their input rather than making assumptions about their readiness? Do they feel empowered to decline these opportunities if needed? If not, what steps can you take to alleviate unnecessary pressure while they re-establish their workflow?
How can you ensure their professional goals stay on track? Have you set up a regular check-in cadence? Consider a dedicated workload check-in and development conversation 90 days after their return to signal your continued commitment to their career development and to ensure their goals remain aligned with their current capacity..

▸ HR Readiness Check

Do you have a structure in place to ensure that a dedicated career development conversation takes place with the returning employee within the first 90 days of their return?
Are you tracking engagement and career progression trends for employees who have taken parental leave? Have you used that information to identify gaps and improve leave experiences across the broader organization?
Does your organization regularly acknowledge and celebrate personal and professional employee milestones? If so, have you implemented acknowledgements and celebrations around parental leave, such as publicly welcoming employees back from leave or acknowledging the manager and team for managing a successful leave transition?

Want to go deeper? RETAIN Coaching provides structured, human-centered support for employees, managers, and organizations through every phase of the parental leave transition. Learn more at CPLLeadership.com.