Preparing for leave
Whether this is your first, second or subsequent child, having a baby is one of the most life-changing transitions a person will go through in their lifetime.
Many adjustments have to be made to navigate this transition, including the transition from ‘working person’ to ‘working parent’.
This one hour session is delivered by an experienced clinical and organisational psychologist to provide a ‘heads up’ and some practical strategies as you enter this exciting time.
Learning outcomes
- Recognise the significance of becoming a parent (in work and life).
- Explore the Parental Leave Roadmap and the key Transition Touchpoints.
- Understand the unique nature of perinatal mental health compared with general mental health.
- Identify a range of resources to support your transition (both internal and external).
- Build a network of colleagues, who share a similar experience to you.
Returning from leave
Whether your return to work is fast approaching or you have already returned, we know that transitioning back into the workplace after extended leave can be a challenging time—especially with COVID-19 presenting additional complexities.
Parenthood is life-changing, so it’s not surprising if your view of yourself in the workplace may have changed. You may be feeling nervous and lacking confidence in your skills and abilities and, if so, you’re not alone. Many parents feel this way, but by equipping yourself with some practical tools you can calm the nerves and prepare for a confident return.
This one hour session is delivered by an experienced clinical and organisational psychologist to help you plan for a successful and sustainable return.
Learning outcomes
- Recognise the significance of returning to the workplace (in work and life).
- Explore the Parental Leave Roadmap and the key Transition Touchpoints.
- Understand the unique nature of perinatal mental health compared with general mental health.
- Identify a range of resources to support your transition (both internal and external).
- Build a network of colleagues, who share a similar experience to you.
Leaders and HR Managers: Working parent workplace support
A legal and best practice perspective
Having a valued employee prepare for a family, take parental leave and navigate the ongoing seasons of working parenthood presents many challenges and opportunities for the individual and the business, with COVID-19 presenting additional complications.
In this 1.5-hour session, we have boiled things down to the essential legal requirements and best practice strategies to help you support your people during this important transition.
Delivered by an experienced lawyer and psychologist this session is structured around the key stages of support and provides a unique learning experience from both a legal and best practice perspective.
Learning outcomes
- Build knowledge around the business case for supporting working parents.
- Identify the risks associated with the perinatal period from a workplace perspective.
- Understand the unique nature of perinatal mental health compared with general mental health.
- Explore the breadth of legal obligations to be considered with respect to supporting working parents.
- Understand best practice strategies to support working parents, including insights into the PWWP survey results.
- Identify a range of resources to best support working parents (both internal and external).
The Perinatal Workplace Wellbeing Program
Funded by WorkSafe’s WorkWell Mental Health Improvement Fund, the Perinatal Workplace Wellbeing Program (PWWP) is designed to support and make a difference to the mental health and wellbeing of expectant and new parents in Victorian workplaces.
The aim of the program is to create organisational change to provide a working environment that impacts positively on the mental health and wellbeing of these workers.
We offer different levels of membership to the program:
Bronze
Complimentary access to the PWWP HR Well. This level provides HR practitioners with resources that support them to build or extend their family friendly organisational practices.
Resource sheets to support the practical implementation of parental leave support, such as ‘Staying Connected during Parental Leave’, and ‘How to Set Up a Working Parent Network’.
This level includes:
- Building a business case to support perinatal mental health in the workplace.
- Resource sheets to support the practical implementation of parental leave support, such as ‘Staying Connected during Parental Leave’, and ‘How to Set Up a Working Parent Network’.
- Quarterly Practitioner newsletter, including emerging trends, legislative updates, and new resources.
- Targeted resources that support the mental health and wellbeing of working parents, including a general parent newsletter (different versions for mums, dads and same-sex couples), factsheets and a national directory of health professionals and services who specialise in perinatal mental health This level introduces the ability to customise the program for your workplace with a focus on building organisational capability to support working parents that takes a holistic approach.
Silver
This level introduces the ability to customise the program for your workplace with a focus on building organisational capability to support working parents that takes a holistic approach.
It includes bronze plus:
- The Leader Well includes interactive online simulation training, as well as targeted resources across the three phases of leave (preparing for leave, during leave and returning from leave).
- The Parent Well provides practical advice and tools to support the Parental Leave Transition. This includes exclusive access to a confidential emotional health self-screening tool, an agile resource bank and a newsletter-notification system that actively links parents back to ‘The Well’ when they need it the most. The Parent Well also includes exclusive access to the ‘Nourish’ online antenatal and early parenting learning hub as well as COPE’s online ‘Preparing for Parenthood’ mental health and wellbeing program.
- Annual program review that monitors ROI and identifies further opportunities to build the support you offer to your working parents.
Gold
This level introduces personalised 1-1 coaching for parents and their leader (as appropriate) as well as specialist EAP services, if needed.
It includes bronze and silver plus:
- Personalised 1-1 support for expectant and new parents customised for your workplace and delivered by our national team of workplace psychologists.
- Transition tools, including a Transition Guide, Action Plan and Safe Work Assessment.
- A transition book of choice and a congratulations card.
Optional add-ons include:
- An audit of existing policies and processes by a specialist workplace lawyer, with feedback on areas to improve compliance and best practice.
- A customised workshop for the HR Team, delivered by an experienced lawyer and psychologist to ensure solid foundations on which to build further capability across the organisation.
- Ad hoc specialised EAP services for individuals, leaders, and teams in the event of a trauma, such as miscarriage or stillbirth.