TIPS AND TRICKS

Taking Paternity Leave? Provide Your Boss Advanced Notice

Going on paternity leave is one of the best things a new father can do. If your company offers it, take it. If you’re considering not taking it, take it. Take it, take it, take it. But, you need to make plans to do it — which is easier in some work situations than others. To maintain your reputation as a team player and retain the management of your most favored projects, you want to let your boss know your plans.

Now, the amount of notice you give your manager, either formal or informal, depends on your relationship with them. Have a good relationship with your boss and feel comfortable saying “My wife, partner, or spouse, is pregnant, and I need to take the time off starting x y&z”? Then it’s probably best to tell them as soon as you feel comfortable with the pregnancy or plan.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requires leave to be requested at least 30 days in advance, but you might want to give your manager three months’ notice — or even longer if your position is especially difficult to backfill.

“The reason to give that advance notice is so that you can say to that person, if I’m going to be gone for six to 12 weeks, I want to make sure that I’m setting the team up for success, and to make sure that I’m not causing any single points of failure,” says Liane Davey, author of The Good Fight: Use Productive Conflict to Get Your Team and Organization Back On Track.

Even if you have a great relationship with your boss and can speak to them casually about important topics at work, you still want to send a formal email detailing your request to both them and your HR representative, so that you’re officially on the record.

Here’s some more advice for talking to your boss about taking paternity leave.