How Best to Handle Maternity Leave in the Finance World

While expectant mothers are so often filled with joyful anticipation over the birth of their child, they can also feel another heavy anticipation that can be much more stressful—the anticipation of going on leave. Motherhood can be extremely complicated, and so can planning and managing leave. But with some careful forethought and good communication, leave can be smooth sailing for mothers and the people absorbing their work while they’re gone.

While many mothers to be wish to keep their news secret for as long as possible, the best thing to do is share the news as early as you comfortably can. The more time you and your management team have to plan your leave, the better. Leaves become stressful when there isn’t much time to allocate tasks and plan for the way the leave will be handled.

Talk to human resources as soon as possible about insurance and FMLA. They can help you navigate the benefits process and deadlines, which are important to keep track of. Start researching nearby daycare options and ask coworkers who they use and whether they are satisfied there. Knowing your child will be comfortable and happy will make the process of going back to work much easier.

Sit down with your manager to go over a comprehensive list of your tasks and clients. Decide who is best to allocate these tasks to and start investing in those people as early as possible. The smoothest transition for both you and them will occur when your replacements are well trained and as knowledgeable as possible about your work and current issues.

Expectant mothers should also decide how in touch with the office they would like to be in their absence. Finance is a constantly morphing industry, so staying in touch to some degree is smart. Client relationships are also paramount, so it’s a good idea to be somewhat available if client issues arise. Whatever you decide, make sure everyone understands your boundaries and availability before you depart.

Before you return, arrange to slowly transfer back into work life. Gradually increase your communication so that when you do come back, you’re aware of what’s going on and what part you play. This will make the transition less of a shock, and new mothers won’t feel out of the loop.