Parental leave app to keep employees connected

My Family Care is hoping to help new and expectant parents in the workplace address their work-life balance through a new mobile app. The Parental Leave Toolkit aims to make HR and management teams more accessible when tackling issues such as parental leave, career progression and personal wellbeing.

Believing that in order to support the transition into parenthood requires a focus on both the personal and the professional, the team hopes they can provide an all-encompassing hub for dealing with the various life changes an employee must face. From a business perspective, it’s expected to provide maternity coaching support to a much larger number of workers, as the process will be more streamlined, efficient and cost-effective compared to traditional methods.

While My Family Care already provides resources and tools online, the step towards a dedicated toolkit is intended to affect management teams and maintain user engagement due to its easy accessibility through PC, tablet, or mobile devices. Describing the transition to parenthood as “a pivotal moment” in an employee’s career, My Family Care believes HR and management teams need to act supportively and sensitively in such a critical time.

“The platform offers innovative coaching tools presented as interactive ‘think and act activities’, designed to help managers and expectant or new parents think through and resolve challenges and plan their leave and return proactively,” said Jennifer Liston-Smith, Director and Head of Coaching and consultancy at My Family Care.

“During leave, the platform is very easy to access and use and encourages staff to feel in control of their time away from the workplace with family, while still feeling connected to a job they are passionate about and look forward to returning to.”

The company hopes this method will increase flexibility within firms, with companies such as Pinewood Group and IBM already signed up to the scheme.

“The clever thing is the way [this toolkit] creates a Managed Plan, tailored to the type of leave people are taking,” said Deborah Richards, Diversity and Inclusion Leader UK and Ireland for IBM. “Whether that’s a same sex couple adopting a child, a third time mum or a new dad taking a couple of weeks’ paternity leave, the tips, tools and advice all fit.”