Firms get more flexible on family policies
Many of these employees are moving up the ranks, and it costs 1.5 to 2 times their salaries to replace senior leaders and 70 percent of salaries to replace team members, according to WorkplaceDynamics, a Pennsylvania firm that surveys companies about employee satisfaction and produces Top Workplaces lists in 45 markets.
National accounting firm KPMG already had paid parental leave and flexible work policies on the books.
[...] a few years ago, human resources managers started hearing that employees with families, especially new parents, were feeling out of sorts trying to balance the new needs of their households with the desire to succeed at work.
If we can help with that, and ultimately retain the individual and help them re-engage in their career while feeling still successful in this new aspect of their life, parenthood, then it’s a win-win for everyone, said Barbara Wankoff, KPMG’s executive director of diversity and inclusion.
The phone call before she had her child helped her set priorities on setting up her clients, so she could “truly step away and give myself permission to stop checking email.”
Before she came back from her four months off — which was a combination of disability and 12 weeks of paid maternity leave — they talked about “how to dive back in,” including logistics of getting up to speed and how to re-engage with clients.
The coach also brought up topics to make sure Tyra was ready to get back to work, such as making sure child care plans were set, but also asked whether she had tried on her work clothes to make sure they fit and worked out schedules and responsibilities with her husband.
Other child-specific policies include not only a lactation room but providing the kits and services for nursing women who must travel for work.
Both KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers have programs for parents who choose to take a break from their careers while their children are young.
Other companies have taken it a step further with “internships” for returning parents to help them catch up with any technology or regulation changes that occurred while they were caring for their children.