As a smaller company, you value your employees; they are the backbone of the company and needless to say, keep things running along smoothly. What happens though when of those valuable team members goes on maternity leave? In this article, we look at some things that business owners can do in the event of maternity leave to keep the ship sailing.
Plan Ahead. What's the saying: we don't plan to fail, we fail to plan. With a maternity leave situation, planning for that employee's absence well in advance becomes crucial. Who's going to fill-in? Will it be a team effort to temporarily take their place? Maybe a temp agency could be a good solution in this instance. Also, it's important to ask the employee going on leave to outline job responsibilities—this way whoever is filling in will have some solid background on the position.
Keep in Touch. Of course as a new parent they're going to be super busy; however, imagine going on a multi-month long leave and then just jumping back into the deep end having been disconnected for so long. Just keeping them updated on any major goings-on, or touching base if questions are surrounding the job, can help make the transition back a little easier.
Ease Them Back In. Some may be ready to jump right back in, while other potentially sleep-deprived parents will find it a little tougher to resume a full-time schedule. Perhaps you negotiate a reduced work schedule for a few weeks. Let them get accustomed to juggling work and a new baby.
At First Union, we've dealt with many small businesses who've faced just this situation. What makes small companies so great is that they often do have the flexibility for new parents. Some even opt to set up in-office daycares. If you want to explore ways in which your business can better accommodate working parents, we can certainly help. Our fast and flexible loan programs make it easy for the small business owner who might otherwise be running up against the brick walls of traditional banks. Call today!