Why keeping in touch during Parental Leave is important – and not just for meeting recency of practice requirements
As pharmacists, taking parental leave can feel tricky, particularly in the context of recency of practice requirements – if you’re planning on starting leave in December or the earlier months of the year the notion of taking 12 months off can feel impossible.
The good news is that there are provisions you can use to stay in touch with your employer without it affecting your government Parental Leave Pay, while supporting your recency of practice requirements.
What are Keeping in Touch Days and how can I use them?
Keeping in Touch Days are designed to help you maintain connection to the workplace while you’re on leave. So, while you can use them to slowly re-enter the workforce (for example use one day per week to work 10 x four-day weeks in the lead up to full-time work), you may also want to consider using them to stay current with your workplace during your leave. This could include:
- Attending a planning day
- Doing training
- Attending a conference
- Refreshing your skills.
All parents (mums and dads) are entitled to up to 10 Keeping in Touch Days (KIT) in their first year of parental leave (and another 10 if parental leave is extended), without it affecting governmental Parental Leave Pay.
While this can go a long way in meeting your recency of practice requirements it’s worth noting that keeping in touch days must be mutually agreed upon with your employer too. That’s why we recommend thinking about developing a Keeping in Touch Plan before you go on parental leave.
What is a Keeping in Touch Plan?
A Keeping in Touch Plan doesn’t need to be complex. However, using one can help guide you – and your manager – on discussions regarding what contact during parental leave might look like for you.
Whether or not you’re planning on utilising KIT Days , a Keeping in Touch Plan can help you document when you want to hear from your employer, what information you’d like to stay across while you’re on annal leave and even how you would like to announce the arrival of your baby/child.
Get your free Keeping in Touch Plan by registering for the Parent Well, where you can also register to receive regular updates and prompts to help you manage the parental leave journey well.
The links between Keeping in Touch Days and mental health
While it can be hard to think about when you’re wading through nappies, dealing with sleep deprivation and meeting the needs of your child, staying connected with your workplace can provide a much-needed sense of connection to the outside world. Moreover, by staying connected during parental leave, you’re laying the foundations to make the transition back into the workplace just that little bit easier, and supporting your recency of practice requirements at the same time.
We recommend thinking about this before you go on leave if you can, when you have the space to think about what you might need to maintain that vital connection to your ‘self before baby’.
However, it’s never too late to put this in place if you’re already on leave. Remember, nothing is set in stone. You can change the way you want to stay connected at any time. Keeping the door open for communication with your manager will help set you up to manage this transition well.
This article was supplied by the Parent Well, an initiative between Transitioning Well and COPE to support parents and their managers to manage the parental transition well. The Parent Well is funded by the Department of Health and Aged Care.
