Write your maternity leave plan
to set your expectations with your employer
Creating a Maternity Leave Plan is about making sure that you’re treated the way you want whilst you’re away and setting your employer’s expectations at your level (rather than the other way round!).
Some parents going on maternity or shared parental leave may want to completely focus on their baby and never hear from their employers for the duration of their leave. Other parents might want to keep the communication channels open and stay involved.
Your individual plan will set out exactly how you want to manage your absence. You should discuss it with your manager, your peers, your team members and your HR manager so that everyone is aware of your decisions.
The most careful plans can also sometimes change.
Becoming a parent will throw you in the deep end and you might realise you need something entirely different! That’s ok. It’s perfectly fine to go back to your employer and change your plan.
Writing this plan will empower you and will give you control of the journey you are about to start.
Here’s what you should include in your plan:
Communications: how do you want to stay in touch with what's happening at work?
Career growth: how do you want to keep growing your skills and career whilst you're off?
Your return: how do you want to plan your keep-in-touch days and working arrangements?
I’ve put a template together with a set of questions to help you think about what you want to do and how you want to communicate it around you.
I'm not covering your handover plan as it is something that should be managed separately. It is a very important part of getting ready for your maternity leave, and it should be prepared as soon as you announce your pregnancy at work.