Voices from Paid Parental Leave Recipients

CU Boulder instituted a paid parental leave benefit for university staff employees this past July. Just recently, the benefit was expanded to include classified staff. All university and classified staff who’ve become parents on or after January 1, 2018 now qualify for this important benefit. We thought we’d take the opportunity to hear from some of those who were able to take advantage of this benefit. 

Stress and Finances 

Mike Gilbert, a project manager in Design and Construction, had this to say. “When we had our first kid I didn’t work at CU, and the company I worked for did not provide paid parental leave. Because of this I only took two weeks off when my daughter was born. When we recently had our second child, the work and stress from the second baby seemed to be a lot more, since we also had a four year old to take care of. The paid leave CU offered allowed me to be home to help cook meals and take care of the house and our daughter, while my wife focused on the baby. This was extremely helpful and reduced the stress at home quite a bit.”

Financial stress is another important factor to consider. Jessica Kret, who offers faculty support for the Leeds School of Business, put it this way. “I didn’t have to worry about how our finances would be impacted with the loss of my paycheck, like I did with my previous pregnancy. Having paid leave really allowed me to focus 100% on my well-being after birth and allowed me to give all of my attention to my newborn and 2 1/2 year old.” She adds, “In my previous maternity leave I needed every minute of the 12 weeks to fully heal physically and emotionally, and to create the bond with my newborn. When the paid parental leave was implemented in July, I remember breathing a huge sigh of relief.” 

Physical Healing

In many cases, birth mothers often need time to physically heal while adapting to the changes a new baby brings. Birth experiences vary widely, and most mothers will tell you that the prescribed six weeks to heal from a “standard” birth isn’t enough time, even if everything goes according to plan. Most parents, when they find out they’re pregnant, save their sick and vacation time for after the baby’s birth.  But pregnancy itself requires frequent doctor visits. If complications arise, mothers can find themselves using all the time they’ve saved, leaving them short when they need it most. Having this new paid benefit helps with that. 

Lelei Finau-Starkey, from the University Exploration and Advising Center, is a good example. “During this second pregnancy I had complications that necessitated frequent monitoring in a doctor’s office, using up most of my available sick and vacation leave in the process.  After my daughter was born, she developed some health issues that have necessitated more doctor’s visits and hospital stays. Unfortunately, my husband’s employer doesn’t offer the paid leave benefits CU Boulder does. Without the welcome addition of paid parental leave, I would be in the position of choosing between taking unpaid leave that my family can’t afford and actually taking care of my family… Knowing that I had parental leave was a huge relief, like knowing I had a secret treasure chest full of support I could open up and use if I needed - which I totally did!”

Baby Health and Future Impacts

Paid parental leave benefits parents and older children, and it gives the baby a better start to life. “My baby had a rough start and needed extra care when he first came home,” said Jenn, first-time mother and university employee (who preferred not to use her last name). “He was very attached to me as a result. Because I had time, I was able to slowly transition him to daycare, starting at just a few hours a day and working up. By the time I returned to work he was at daycare for the whole day and seemed fine. Having the extended leave made us both feel more confident, safe, and happy about daycare.” 

Chris Sachs believes that this benefit will impact not just his own family, but society in general. “It means time to grow a strong connection with my new baby girl, Sienna, and let her know this new world loves her.  As I watch current world affairs, and senseless violence headlines fill my news feed, I wonder how we can grow better, more meaningful relationships that foster love and care for each other. Yes, I see paid leave helping to support the foundational development of connections like this. If my daughter, my wife, and I use this time to create and strengthen our relationships, just think of the positive ripple effect this will have on society for years to come.”

Job Performance

The 2017 Faculty and Staff engagement survey defined engagement as "a pronounced state of enthusiasm characterized by effort, pride, and passion which fosters a mutually committed relationship between employees and organizations resulting in the enduring pursuit of organizational and personal goals." It appears paid parental leave is having a direct effect on staff engagement and job performance.

“I am lucky to work for an employer that is forward thinking in how it engages parental leave,” stated one employee. Mike Gilbert added, “I am very proud to work at a place that makes parental leave a paid benefit, and it is one of the many great benefits that make this such a great place to work.” And Lelei Finau-Starkey noted, “Paid leave means that CU Boulder believes in supporting me on campus and off. With parental leave I was able to take a longer maternity leave and come back to work excited and ready to jump in.  By being able to be more present for my baby I could come back and be more present for my job. “

Thank You CU!

Staff Council is grateful to staff at all levels who worked so hard on the details, and to university leadership who made the paid parental leave benefit a priority. Staff Council is also grateful to be given the opportunity to listen to multiple staff voices and make sure those voices were both heard and amplified. All these efforts show a real commitment to staff well-being. Thank you all.

Are you feeling heard?

We invite you to share your story with us. We are here and we are listening and we want to help. Please contact us so we can continue to support you at work and at home. If it is important to you, you’re not alone. If you don’t feel your perspective is being heard, we are trying to find you. Let’s hear from YOU!