Maternity Leave Issues for Professionals: Functional Techniques and Lesson Uncovered | by Keren Koshman | Jun, 2023

Maternity leave in Israel usually lasts 3.5 months, but it can be prolonged to six months or even a yr. As a mother of a few boys, I have experienced this condition various instances, each presenting its issues. The most hard was using go away from a managerial place, which is difficult irrespective of your organizational degree.

Just lately, I had the opportunity to converse with various administrators who confronted a related issue. They took prolonged maternity leaves of 6 months or more and encountered issues on their return. Just one manager identified that her function had adjusted in the course of her absence, ensuing in decreased responsibilities. An additional experienced to navigate an organizational improve that considerably impacted her staff. A third supervisor uncovered that her responsibilities had been delegated to many others in her absence, and every little thing was operating smoothly with no her, creating it complicated to get back her former placement.

All the managers I spoke to considered their difficulties had been personal and isolated, but it’s a frequent and understandable phenomenon from the organization’s perspective. When a supervisor goes on an extended maternity leave, the managerial vacuum should be stuffed for the firm to functionality properly. The business have to come across a solution the for a longer period the maternity leave (which is totally reputable), the extra recognized and useful the temporary alternative gets to be. In other phrases, returning to the preceding posture soon after extended maternity go away will be accompanied by troubles, frustrations, and issues.

The assumption is that vacuums, particularly managerial types, are likely to fill. No 1 will wait around for you although you are on maternity depart, and your team/office will shift ahead. Occasionally, even improved. Of course, which is the harsh real truth. Yet another tough real truth is no issue what you pick to do — you will be critisized. A different tricky real truth is that you will be criticized no issue what you choose. It may well be for being a lousy mother prioritizing her profession above her small children or for not leaning in more than enough and slacking her vocation for her children. There is a double standard these times, and you require to have it all, but you can not, and modern society will have a say on that…

You have several possibilities to get ready for this problem:

1. Keep on to manage the workforce during maternity leave. Be knowledgeable that it is a really difficult resolution. Those who decide on to do so are generally very senior administrators or self-employed folks who can’t afford to drop regulate around matters. Sometimes, they even shorten their maternity depart even further more. Malissa Mayer is an example that pops into thoughts. I do not choose this selection, but I did not opt for it myself (I dont think it was feasible). Please be form to oneself and look at the complications and the volume of aid you will need to attain this.
2. Using the least maternity leave of 3–4 months is a fairly quick time period for the workforce to manage with a temporary solution that is not sufficiently recognized. It is also desirable to keep in get hold of with the organization to make sure that essential decisions for the group are made with your enter. For example — if there are new hires in this time period, be section of the hiring system. I didn’t pick out this choice possibly. Every single just one of my leaves was 6 months or additional.
3. Preparing in progress a substitute from in just the staff who is each capable sufficient and does not desire to substitute you completely. Protecting call during maternity depart is necessary to protect your role as the supervisor and support important selections. This is an best answer, but these types of a acceptable replacement may perhaps only occasionally be offered. This alternative was my savior in one of my leaves and had important pros, as lengthy as the replacement is fully informed of the situation and there is precise alignment on the replacement scope (for instance — which choices ought to be operate by you in this interval).
4. Going on an prolonged maternity leave and returning to the preceding posture, being familiar with what was before may perhaps not be the same any more, and mentally preparing oneself to cope with the new condition. If you want to be still left to yourself to spend your time in your new child absolutely, it is your correct, but you need to clear this issue with your employer right before leaving.
5. Pre-negotiating with the enterprise that you will not return to the preceding place but alternatively choose on a new managerial purpose. It is feasible to discuss in progress what the new position will entail or count on the organization to provide you one thing to keep your services. This solution is additional suitable for bigger or rising providers but carries a certain hazard that an additional position may be unavailable, ensuing in the have to have to depart.
6. Extending maternity go away for as long as sought after and then in search of new work.

Any mixture of the solutions might be attainable also, and there may possibly be other resourceful concepts that I ought to have thought of. I really encourage you to pick out according to your values and stay away from the criticism. No subject what, you are the greatest mother for your boy or girl and will make the greatest choice for your family. Voice your place evidently to your corporation and sit down with your supervisor to communicate about your expectations from your maternity leave.