Designing Parental Leave Programs That Improve Retention

Many organizations have parental leave policies in place, yet continue to experience challenges with employee retention, workforce continuity, manager preparedness, and return-to-work engagement. In practice, the success of parental leave programs is often determined not by the policy itself, but by how effectively organizations support employees before leave begins, maintain connection during absence, and manage the transition back into the workplace.

This session examines how HR professionals can design and implement parental leave programs that support both organizational objectives and employee experience. It explores common breakdowns in communication, manager capability, workload planning, and return-to-work processes, while providing practical approaches for creating consistent and supportive employee transitions.

Participants will gain insight into program structures, stakeholder responsibilities, communication frameworks, and retention-focused strategies that help employees remain engaged and supported throughout the parental leave journey.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Structuring parental leave programs beyond minimum policy requirements
• Preparing employees and managers for successful pre-leave transitions
• Workforce planning and knowledge transfer before parental leave commences
• Defining manager responsibilities throughout the leave lifecycle
• Maintaining appropriate employee connection and communication during leave
• Designing return-to-work programs that support confidence and engagement
• Flexible work arrangements and phased return considerations
• Identifying retention risks throughout parental leave and re-entry periods
• Supporting career development and progression following parental leave
• Measuring program effectiveness through engagement and retention outcomes
• Building consistency across departments and manager groups
• Integrating parental leave support into broader employee experience strategies