We discussed Paternity Leave on the blog and the challenges facing Men in the workplace. I am very honored to share some valuable insights by Michael Vaz. Michael is a Master in strategic leadership, creating corporate cultures and mostly importantly a father. I met Michael when I was 23 years old and working in Singapore. He was the first leader I had encountered that openly discussed the importance of family in his life. In the Corporate space it is so important to have leaders that lead by example and this is how we will truly see change happen. If you are in a leadership position I hope this interview inspires you to open up to your colleagues, understand their current situations and embrace their personal and professional journeys!
How many children do you have?
3 kids, when you are blessed with kids, I genuinely believe they become a part of your calling.
Did either you or your partner take a career break? If so how long
?
My wife took a break and decided to become a full-time mom. She has not resumed work but has since become the loving mother of 3 children. I would not be able to do anything without her support!
Do you think Paternity leave should be compulsory?
Paternity leave can be a real blessing, you get to throw yourself into this new role in your life. You can even compare it to an orientation program for a company, you need an orientation to parenthood, into being a father.
My brother works for great company that gave him a week of paternity leave. If it’s not a week, at least 4 days, I think it could be made compulsory, especially for forward thinking companies. I’m speaking from a father’s perspective, but when someone becomes a parent, it’s great to clear some space for them and help them gather their thoughts, and get accustomed to this new full time role!
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?
How do companies build a great culture?
I think this could be one of those defining moments. What a great new job description awaits every new parent! For example, we could send a message to the office saying ” kindly give XXX the next 7 days to get used to their new full time role as a parent and refrain from emailing them” Making those announcements, creating a culture that celebrates those new moments. It is essential not just for the father-son/ daughter experience but for the family experience. You are bonding with your partner. I think it’s absolutely essential.
What do you think are the main benefits for employers promoting Paternity leave from an employer branding stand point?
Instant employee engagement. You can be a trendsetter and pioneer, not a lot of companies have done it successfully.
Are there any ROI points you can think of when it comes to offering Maternity leave to team members?
Employee engagement
Loyalty
Lower turn over
Brand of choice- these are all foundational KPI’s brands everywhere aspire to excel at.
Bonus Question:
In Hotel operations we see a lot of men with families in higher leadership positions, however there is dip in leadership positions (director level and above) for women after they begin families. Do you have any actionable suggestions for GMS/ HR Directors on how we can support women to achieve professional goals after maternity leave?
The conversation needs to be game changing, we are always dreaming about great ideas but how do we get them out there? The conversation needs to be attractive, let’s talk about how we can bring you back. That’s a positive conversation all around, every woman wants to hear that, that they are wanted and cared for by the company. Like an exit interview we need to create career interviews. It needs to be planning an interview, a coming back to work interview. So you are going to be coming back from maternity leave, how do you feel about working remotely, Discussing possible roles, you do not necessarily need to come back to the same company, but if that company has a great work environment and wants to have these conversations with you, you should think about it.Process needs to be created, pre-maternity coverage, to decide on whether you are coming back to work, there needs to be flexibility around these conversations and an option to exit incase this person wants to change career paths, which many women do want to do. Never doubt the power of a conversation and how it can help, and ensure we keep a people first mindset. Just like a performance review, it is a pre-maternity review and a post. Make sure you celebrate this new calling through each interaction. They are bringing the future of our organisations into this world!
Ontvang de veiligste kassa’s voor u!
Very nice article