How to get paid parental leave at your workplace
A few months ago I was introduced to a woman who had recently banded together with a few of her colleagues to advocate for onsite childcare at their workplace—Steamboat Springs, the ski resort in Colorado. The area surrounding Steamboat is a daycare desert and if you aren’t familiar with the term, a daycare desert is a community where there are not enough daycare providers to support the need of the community. There was ONE daycare center for the entire county. So the reality for the parents at the resort became: open a daycare center onsite at the ski resort for the employees and community members or quit working so they could care for their children.
The group of Steamboat employees put together a presentation complete with research, data, and infographics, and presented it to their executive team who accepted the proposal. The Steamboat Childcare Center opened last year just in time for ski season. It was a win-win for the entire Steamboat community. Steamboat got to keep their employees, the employees got to continue working, and their kids had a safe space to play while their parents were working.
So how can you advocate for more family-friendly benefits at your workplace like the parents did at Steamboat Springs?
Identify your ask
There are a million different benefits you could potentially ask for:
-a flexible schedule
-back-up emergency childcare
-work from home fridays
-better snack options in the breakroom
-an ERG that supports working moms
-leadership coaching
-paid grievance leave for miscarriage
-paid parental leave
It’s important you identify exactly what you’re asking for so there is no confusion when you ask for it.
2. Identify the decision makers
We often assume we should go straight to HR if we are requesting a benefit or policy change, but generally HR is not the decision maker. They are the communicator and/or enforcer of most benefits and policies, but they aren’t deciding which benefits and policies to communicate and enforce. Often, decision makers are the executive team, CEO, head of finance, an ERG leader or an employee who has earned clout at the organization. Make friends with these people. Get them in your good graces so that the first time they meet you isn’t when you’re asking for something.
3. Know your WIIFM (what’s in it for me?)
To get your ask accepted you’re going to have to convince your employer there is a benefit for them that they would be unwise to ignore. Like in the case of Steamboat Springs, the group asking for childcare had sufficient evidence that Steamboat would lose a significant percentage of their employees if the resort didn’t find a childcare solution soon.
4. Research your competitors
Do your research and find out what your employer’s competitors or similar organizations are providing. If your employer prides themselves on being progressive and innovative through their business as well as through the employee experience they provide, but don’t offer the same or better benefits than a competitor does, their claim quickly loses credibility as well as their street cred with top talent.
5. Collaborate with allies
As we see with the Steamboat Springs example, there is strength in numbers. It’s going to be a lot more effective if 10 or 20 employees raise a red flag that they are going to have to quit if a change isn’t made, than if 1 employee sends an angry email. Allies can be ERG leaders, executive sponsors, HR, or even other employees.
6. Follow through and be consistent
Jess Feldt, a friend and leadership coach, and I hosted a webinar on how to advocate for more family-friendly benefits earlier this week (you can check out the recording here) and she shared a story about asking her boss for support because she felt like she was burnt out and was never going to catch up with all the work she was tasked with. Her manager said no because there wasn’t a sufficient budget and Jess continued to suffer. Not long after she quit. Her boss asked her why she quit and she said she felt overwhelmed by the amount of work she was required to do. He responded that because she only came to him once, he didn’t think it was that important to her. If it was important enough to quit over he felt she should have asked again.
Take this story as an example to remind yourself to ask again if the first answer is no. Maybe what they really mean is not yet.
You can do this! You’re a mom—you’re brave, strong, smart, and a badass that can change your company culture for the better. Good luck!
What benefits or policies would you ask for if you could have anything you wanted at your workplace?
The Park helps parents-to-be navigate parental leave so they can max out their job-protected and paid leave, return to work feeling supported, and thrive as a working parent. We answer all your questions and give you all the tips and tricks you need to advocate for yourself on TikTok, Instagram, 1:1 consulting calls, and through our parental leave guides.
