Don’t Replace Her

Don’t replace her.

Nobody wants to be replaced. Especially when they’re going on leave.

Backfill, yes. Replace, no.

When a parent is going on leave, it can be a very strange feeling to have someone replace you during your time away. Whether the person is coming in externally or is someone internal, and even with the best intentions and most supportive environment, it can feel as if someone is getting the chance to audition for your job.

It can feel threatening. It can be stressful.

What if they outshine me?

What if they forget about me?

What if this person takes my job?

What role am I going to come back to?

For longer leaves of 6+ months, companies sometimes opt to hire a permanent employee as it’s easier to attract good candidates over posting a temporary position. Or, if the role is temporary, the person coming in is *usually* looking for the role to be a foot in the door that leads to a permanent position.

To the parent going on leave, this feels like being replaced rather than a temporary stand-in or backfill. And it can lead to guards being put up when it comes to creating an effective transition plan (do I want to give away my secret sauce, tips, and expertise to some who may take my job?)

I know that this is not the intention for companies and leaders who want to support their teammates taking leave, it’s just an unfortunate byproduct of how tough it is to fill leaves and the tricky position many employers are in. Having someone come in to fill the role is better than downloading the extra work onto already stretched-thin teammates, right?

Having seen many parents, primarily women, go on leave and come back to different roles not by their own choice, or no role at all, is heartbreaking. Though some countries offer protected leaves, it doesn’t guarantee you come back to the same role (as is the case in Canada) and it doesn’t protect you from layoffs–as long as your leave wasn’t a factor in why your role was eliminated.

These experiences are part of the reason for starting Mother Cover. Our Leave Partners are just that–partners. They are partners to the parent going on leave and resources to the company needing to continue the execution of their strategies. They are a temporary backfill and not a replacement. There’s no threat, only support.

If you have a leave to cover, don’t let your valuable teammate feel nervous about their position. Show them you have their back and can’t wait for them to return and continue the work they love doing.

We can help. ♥️