Content from The Globe’s weekly Women and Work newsletter, part of The Globe’s Women’s Collective. To subscribe, clickQuestion: I will soon be finishing up my parental leave after 18 months at home with my child. What steps can I take to hit the ground running when I return to work?
As much as we want to believe that our workplaces will have a plan for us, typically they don’t. Moms at Work is working with companies on return-to-work programs, and we know that most companies do not have a transition plan in place. You may believe that your workplace is thinking about you all the time you’re gone. But they’re not.. Take some time to consider how you want to handle your transition.
It takes about three weeks to settle back in, so don’t expect that it’s going to take a few days. Once you return, take it easy. Find out who’s who and get the lay of the land. A lot of people get very discouraged and upset. Ourshowed that over 40 per cent of people considered quitting during their return to work. That’s alarming. It happens because it’s so overwhelming and you feel like no one’s paying attention to you and your transition should have been managed better.
Busy itineraries that have us hustling from one must-see spot to another don’t exactly leave us feeling well-rested. That means returning to work potentially even more burned out than when we left. To truly reap the benefits of time off and battle our collective exhaustion, we need breaks that focus on rejuvenation.
“The technological transition is expected to automate between one-third and one-half of all tasks performed by employees by 2033, according to Unifor, Canada’s largest private-sector union. “First off, I think it’s important to personally invite men to these kinds of events instead of just sending an e-mail because I think some men may wonder if it’s an event just for women. Go for a coffee with a male colleague to invite him to take part as an ally. Also, consider rebranding so these are not just women’s groups or events, but women and allies.