I recently returned to my job as the head of Strategy, Analytics and Business Operations at Superhuman after three months of paternity leave.
I would be lying if I said that work never crossed my mind over the course of those three months. Especially after more than a few diaper changes, I occasionally thought about checking in on some of the projects I had left behind. But I didn’t. I avoided the temptation, and was able to be completely present to share considerable, uninterrupted time with my family from the moment that I stepped out for parental leave.
Navigating the complexities of parental leave
Parental leave policies in the U.S. can get complex—there is company policy, along with federal and state laws. And even when those things align, many expectant parents still worry about the implications of taking leave. As a new father, it certainly worried me—and I’m not alone. A recent study found that only half feel that they have support from their employer in taking paternity leave. Worse, nearly a third believe that taking leave could harm their careers.
While Superhuman’s parental leave policy is generous by U.S. standards, and ensured that I would get 12 weeks off at full pay, I’ll admit that I was nervous about what being away would mean for my team and the company. I’m part of the Superhuman leadership team, and having recently stepped into a new role, I had a slate of key projects to tackle and open positions to fill. However, not only did the company completely respect my time off, but when I returned to work, only a few items needed immediate attention. There wasn’t a mountain of problems that would take me weeks to dig my way out of, which significantly eased the transition back while also continuing to care for a newborn.
So how did I manage it? By working closely with our People team, my direct reports, and the rest of the leadership team at Superhuman. I started laying the groundwork months before I actually closed my laptop for the last time. This careful planning process allowed me to fully unplug and appreciate my time away.
These are the five steps I took.
Start communicating early
When my partner and I were ready to share the news, I told our Head of People and we rapidly developed a plan for my leave. We first informed the CEO and the rest of the leadership team, and agreed on dates for my leave. The next step was to work with my direct reports to identify the best possible team structure while I was offline with my family.
Work backward
I took our due date and assumed I would be offline three weeks earlier than that, just to be safe. Using that date, I created a work-back plan capturing each project that I wanted to get done before my leave started. I estimated the number of weeks needed for each project and maintained a prioritized list of what could be completed by when. Using this, I regularly flagged any project that did not look like it would be completed by my end date. Ultimately, I was more productive than ever during this time period, thanks to the sense of urgency and relentless prioritization.
Consider using contractors to help bridge the gap
One of the things that was on my mind in the months and weeks leading up to my leave was making sure that our analytics team had the necessary support and resources to complete key projects and respond to requests while I was out. If I hadn’t been about to go on leave, I would have opted for the slow-and-steady path of hiring. But ultimately, I made the decision two months before my leave to bring in two experienced consultants to rapidly expand our bandwidth. Looking back, I can see that being open to contract help was one of the best decisions I made; it prevented a situation where my leave resulted in negative impact to the wider team, and both individuals are still with the company today.
Make it easy to resist temptation
As soon as I closed my laptop on my last day of work, I deleted Slack and signed out of work email on both my laptop and mobile device, to avoid any temptation to check on work. I asked anyone from Superhuman who needed to contact me about an urgent matter to do so via text or my personal email account, again, to avoid the temptation to look at my work email.
Consider a “re-onboarding plan”
Our Head of People organized a “re-onboarding plan” plan for me upon my return that looked very similar to the plans we use for individuals who have just joined the company. It included 1:1s with key new hires that were made while I was gone, callouts for recommended priorities upon my return, and suggestions on what I should accomplish in my first few days, weeks, and months back. We also had daily 30 minute check-ins for the first two weeks, to help me get fully caught up.
Any new parent can attest that the first few months of your child’s life are magical, and being present for that is something I’ll always be grateful for. I’m well aware of how lucky I am given how difficult the last few years have been for all working parents. My hope is that in sharing this, those who do have the opportunity to take parental leave will have some helpful tips for making the absolute most of that time.
Gaurav Vohra is head of Strategy, Analytics, and Business Operations at Superhuman.
