As more and more companies offer longer parental leave there is new #HarvardBusinessReview research around the benefit vs. penalty for women who take long leaves.
“Evidence from a variety of countries reveals that the longer new mothers are away from paid work, the less likely they are to be promoted, move into management, or receive a pay raise once their leave is over.”
Luckily there is a solution –stay in touch programs! While not popular in the US yet, research shows that if a company has a program in place to keep touchpoints and communication open with employees on leave the bias against their leave is erased.
“…our results also point to some ways in which managers, organizations, and women themselves can combat the unintentional negative consequences of longer legislated maternity leaves. For example, managers can provide additional information about women’s agency and career aspirations to counteract negative perceptions among decision-makers and co-workers.”
https://hbr.org/2018/09/do-longer-maternity-leaves-hurt-womens-careers
#makeworkforyoufor #thesecondshift #superchargeyourwork #ondemandtalent