There are so many articles about how companies are creating more family friendly work environments. However, many companies are forgetting to include their employees in the conversation. What does maternity leave mean to them? Are they nervous, excited or maybe overwhelmed? Do they have the support system at home? Have they arranged childcare? Are they beginning this journey as a single mother or do they have a partner to support them? Going forward employers must consider their employee’s and create their maternity & paternity policies around them. To get an insight into what was maternity leave is like first hand , I am honored to showcase Ms.V’s experience as a working mother. She is currently in a Director Level position in a top Hotel company.
How many children do you have and when did you decide to have your first child? I have one child. My husband and I decided to start our family in 2015, and were blessed with the birth of our daughter three years later in 2018.
What factors influenced you to start a family?
We had been together for five years, including two of them as a married couple. We had reached stable points in our careers where we felt comfortable both financially and professionally taking a path on which we would no longer dedicate so much of our energy and “self” to our jobs. Plus, I was 35 years old at that time and was cognizant of the countdown on my biological clock.
Did either you or your partner take a career break ? If so how long
I took five months off and when I returned to work, was part-time for the first month. My husband took two weeks off.
Did your company provide maternity leave?
My company provided 10 weeks of paid maternity leave.
Do you think maternity leave should be compulsory?
Yes, companies should be required to provide paid “maternity” leave, as well as paid “paternity” leave. The parental leave should be gender neutral and applicable to same sex couples, as well as applicable to adoptive parents.
Many studies found that encouraging father’s to take leave helped them not only spend time with their children but also help/ support their partner by doing tasks such as “feeding, bathing, playing” which have traditionally been done by the “primary caregiver” (mother), How do you think companies can start to support and encourage their employees to take paternity leave?
Companies should provide paid paternity leave, with senior employees setting high-profile examples by visibility and vocally taking the leave.
Many companies view maternity leave as a “burden” or waste of financial resources. Do you have any suggestions for employers to change the “negative” dialogue around Maternity leave ? It should be seen as an employee retention tool which is important in a high-turnover industry such as hospitality, and as way to boost productivity and avoid burn out. Parents who are afforded time during the “sacred” window will feel less parental guilt and may be more likely to return to work re-energized and feel loyal to their employer.
How can employees in operations work with their teams to create a plan to split their responsibilities when they are on leave? Guidelines can be created at the corporate level, and then plans for individual employees need to be mandated from and supported by the General Manager.
How can employers help ease the transition back into the workforce after Maternity leave? In the hospitality industry we face this problem with both men and women , esp in Operations, How can General Managers better support their team members who have become new Mothers? Pro-actively offer flexible work arrangements, especially during the “fifth trimester” – the initial period back at work, which is often a difficult transition period emotionally, mentally and physically. The GM could also meet with each new mother and father to see how they are doing, what support they might need and show they care.
In an industry like hospitality, again focusing on Ops, Do you think it is possible to offer realistic flexi-work schedules for new Mothers after they have returned? Yes, it’s just a matter of logistics and will… If hotels can manage hundreds of guests, multiple events, and casual staff in one day, they can manage scheduling and logistics..
Are there any ROI points you can think of when it comes to offering Maternity leave to team memebers? At the corporate level, a long-term study should be done to compare the career path, trajectory and retention of mothers who take varying levels of maternity leave.
I hoped you enjoyed that insight into a real life experience! If you are a position to make a change, take the first step and talk to your employees and take their valuable insights into consideration.
Thanks for reading!
Great interview Nisha, it was interesting to read how someone at a director level sees the situation. I especially liked the part where she said employees “will feel less parental guilt and may be more likely to return to work re-energized and feel loyal to their employer”. People underestimate employee loyalty lots of times so understanding this could really make a difference!
Thanks for sharing