Parental leave has been a hot topic in the workforce, but there are so many barriers in the U.S. keeping it from being more accessible for parents. There are numerous issues on the governmental level, but individual companies also face their own series of problems when handling parental leave. In many cases, they treat all expecting parents the same, and often the only resources available to moms-to-be in particular are standard mental health services, only further illustrating the stigma of being a mother and having a career at the same time.
Enter LeaveLogic, a Seattle-based software company founded by Anna Steffeney that helps companies present professionals with individualized parental leave plans to see how much leave they need, what their options are, and how to navigate HR through the process. The hope is that this software will allow companies to think methodically about the options they can offer to employees while also helping employees explore their options in an organized, straightforward way.
Steffeney told Fast Company that early research was already showing the multitude of benefits for workers interested in LeaveLogic and more individualized parental leave policies. First, employees are using the technology three to five months earlier than they would go to an employer, allowing them to be comfortable and informed before heading into conversations about their options. Second, LeaveLogic is also increasing the likelihood of employee retention for companies, since it actually costs more money to hire and train a new employee than to retain a current one.
One thing’s for sure: We can’t wait to see what LeaveLogic does in the future.
Cover image courtesy of Shutterstock.
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