Best Practices for Caregiving Policies

3 shifts every forward-thinking company needs to make (to actually support working parents, and keep their top talent) ... This is the heart of what I shared in my first published article, and honestly, it’s the part I want every people manager, HR partner, exec, and culture builder to sit with. Because if your support lives at bare-minimum leave policies… you’re not just behind, you’re bleeding talent. Here’s what needs to shift: 1. From Maternity Leave → to the Full Caregiving Journey Leave doesn’t cut it when you’re navigating fertility, an identity shift, a return to work, and years (yes, years) of cognitive, emotional, and logistical load. Companies need to design for the entire arc of caregiving—not just the baby bump. That means: → Enhancing benefit design across time, not just the first 3 months → Training leaders to actually support reentry and identity transitions → Offering real support across leave, return, middle motherhood, and beyond 2. From “Good Luck” → to CareConscious™ Cultures We’ve spent too long putting the burden on the individual. “Figure it out.” “Be grateful for what you have.” “Don’t make it a thing.” Nope. It is a thing—and it’s time we design systems that reflect that. That looks like: → Knowing your population and training every leader to hold real, confident caregiving conversations → Making caregiving part of leadership development and performance reviews → Getting serious about making benefits accessible and understood Because culture change doesn’t live in the policy doc or your mission statement. It lives in conversations. 3. From Retention → to What Actually Matters Retention is the bare minimum. It tells you if someone stayed. What I care about—and what I want leaders to measure—is: → Are caregivers coming back and advancing after leave? → Are they functioning well, or burning out? → Do they feel like they belong here now—with this new identity, new rhythm, and new priorities? That’s where real equity lives. That’s where loyalty is built. This isn’t just a gender equity issue. It’s a leadership pipeline issue. A retention issue. A future-of-work issue. The companies that get this right? They’ll attract the best talent, retain it, and shape cultures that actually reflect real life. Full article in comments. Let me know what stood out. Hi, I’m Jess Ringgenberg, PCC—founder of ELIXR, researcher, and advisor to companies reimagining how we support parents, working mothers and caregivers. Follow along or reach out. I’d love to meet you.

You say you care about caregiver equity. Cool. Show me your caregiver policy. Not your stock photo of a smiling parent holding a toddler in your Careers section. Not your Wellness Month webinar with the same 3 execs. Not your LinkedIn post about “bringing your whole self to work.” No, show me: - A real return‑to‑work plan for parents and caregivers, getting phased back in with structured support, not just a Slack ping and a forgotten 1:1. - Meaningful benefits for all caregivers, stay-at-home parents, folks caring for aging relatives, those in the “sandwich” generation. - Flexibility that works: “use PTO for doctor appointments” isn’t enough. I mean flex hours, backup care, compressed weeks, etc. - Mental‑health check-ins and manager training, because telling caregivers “reach out if you need anything” is not support. If your company’s advocacy for caregivers is only optics, it’s not real support. Caregivers: what policies helped you actually return to work feeling seen and supported? HR leaders: what’s one thing your company actually does? Let’s crowdsource what good looks like, and make this a blueprint, not just an argument. #caregiverequity #workingparents #burnoutrecovery #returntowork #hrpolicy #futureofwork #caffeinencareers

How you show up in life’s hardest moments reveals your true values and shapes the culture you create - for individuals and organizations alike. Compassionate caregiver leave is one of the most meaningful ways to stand behind those values - not through words, but through action. You don’t need the details of someone’s situation to know they need time. You only need to care enough to offer it. Many families live paycheck to paycheck. In the middle of a crisis -when someone is caring for a parent, partner, or loved one - the last thing they should have to do is choose between their income and showing up for the people who need them most. Waiting a month or more for state-paid benefits adds unnecessary stress at the worst possible time. Offering compassionate leave is not a radical concept. It’s in the same spirit as providing maternity or paternity leave: supporting employees through major life transitions that require presence, care, and stability. And in many cases, the ask is smaller: - Two weeks fully paid - Scaled up to four over time - No forms, no explanations, no hoops to jump through Companies leading with care are already moving: - Salesforce offers up to 30 business days for caregiving - Microsoft provides four weeks of paid caregiver leave - Google allows up to eight weeks in qualifying situations These programs don’t need to be complex. What they offer is trust, and what they create is lasting impact: - Employees feel seen and supported - Loyalty deepens organically - Culture becomes something people believe in If you’re building policies right now, this is a meaningful place to begin. Ask yourself: Are we creating a culture where people feel safe to step away when life demands it? When you lead with empathy, people remember. And when you don’t, they remember that too. #humanresources #management #executivesandmanagement #executiveassistant #culture