23 tips (and 2 templates) to support employees through a leave
We’ll tackle the claims and payroll so you can focus your attention on supporting a leave-taker. Here’s how:
We’ll tackle the claims and payroll so you can focus your attention on supporting a leave-taker. Here’s how:
Even the most seasoned managers have lots of questions and doubts when a direct report takes leave—especially if it’s everybody’s first time. Yet, with over 8000 leaves taken with Cocoon, we know first hand what it takes to plan a leave well, the questions people tend to have, and the factors that can best improve the employee experience. With Cocoon doing the heavy lifting on compliance, claims, and payroll, People Ops teams and managers can focus their time and attention on supporting an employee through a leave. Here we offer tons of tips, dos and don’ts, and even some templates to help you in the process.
People usually take leave as a result of a major life event. How you show up in that first conversation is important to get right. Here are some dos and don’ts to set the right tone.
Once the wheels are in motion for an employee’s leave, it’s time to proactively plan with them around timelines, workloads, communication preferences, etc. For someone going on parental leave, you likely have a bigger window of time to hash out these details, whereas a medical, caregiver, and other leaves may come on suddenly—do your best to be proactive and to anticipate the unexpected while being reasonable with the time and resources you have.
💡Pro tip: download our leave transition plan worksheet so you can map out a leave plan together in a 1:1. It has a list of questions to work through, with space for your answers.
By this stage, the plan you made has shifted into reality. While things don’t always go according to plan… these dos and don’ts keep you going steady on what you can control.
Though it might feel off to not check in, respect a leave-taker’s time away. Communications from a coworker might make them feel stressed or obligated to respond. Unless they have explicitly contacted you or asked to be contacted, a better way to handle this is by keeping track of team, project, and company updates as they happen and presenting them upon their return.
💡Pro tip: If you have a regular 1:1 with the leave-taker, instead of canceling it, use that time to work on the updates so you don’t get behind.
Except for staying on top of timely claims paperwork (which Cocoon helps with), a leave-taker shouldn’t have anything on their to-do list. Instead, focus on planning for their return from leave. Understand what accommodations your company offers (e.g., schedule modifications) and start to think about handoffs and workload re-balancing. Get your key updates one-pager ready, and refer back to the list of their responsibilities and project work to understand how handoffs could work.
Whether a leave-taker is ready to return to work or hesitant to, this transition will be a big shift for everyone, especially the leave-taker. Let them set the pace, while being an effective ally to help them set and achieve the boundaries and accommodations they need. Here are some tips for a smooth return:
Taking leave is a transformative experience that comes with highs and lows, and there’s no single way to prepare for an employee’s leave because each situation is different. Yet in leading with empathy, having a supportive mentality, and getting organized with Cocoon, you will be in as good of a place as you can be to support a leave-taker. Cocoon is dedicated to helping you do just that by offering the technology that keeps up with the legal and financial requirements, as well as giving tips to help you navigate the emotional side. Doing so is an important part of being a great manager, with lasting impacts that can resonate through a leave-taker’s career and personal life.