To celebrate the increase in parental leave payments starting this month, we share a tiny window into the worlds of three working parents at EBA and why their experiences matter for employers. Enjoy :)

CJ and Romy

CJ Mackenzie, EBA’s Marketing & Partnerships Lead, and her partner, Ben, were lucky. When it came time for CJ to return to work, baby Romy, who’s as amiable and cheery as her mum, took to daycare like a duck to water. CJ settled back into her home office and cracked open her EBA laptop.

She was excited to be back. Also, a little apprehensive.

“I worried how I would fit it all in! During parental leave, I was so busy. I kept thinking, ‘How am I going to do all this and work part-time, too?’ People in my life kept saying, ‘You'll get it done, you’ll just have to do it differently.’”

It turned out, they were right. But returning to a workplace with a welcoming family-friendly culture helped a LOT, CJ says.

“I always knew EBA was a great place to have a family. Because it’s modelled so well from the top. Both our leaders have children, and they place such an emphasis on family and kids coming first. There was never a doubt in my mind.”

During EBA’s internal meetings, it’s not uncommon to see baby Romy crawl onto CJ’s lap and gaze at the sea of adoring faces on-screen. CJ says knowing she can be herself and not have to hide that she’s a mum is important. But so is the ‘f’ word. That word all working parents need to hear from their employer: flexibility.

“If Romy’s sick, there’s never a question from work. It’s just, ‘Hope she feels better soon.’ They get it, they get where you are at. When I’m at work, I give 100%. But there’s room for me to be there for my child, too. I had no hesitation recently asking for the morning off to go to Romy’s Easter daycare morning tea. That was met with absolute joy. Like, ‘Don’t even think twice about it. You’re going!’”

CJ knows that when she clocks off, she doesn’t have to check emails or messages over the weekend. Knowing she can give Romy quality time, means CJ feels she can really get stuck into work on workdays.

“Because I get to have uninterrupted time with my daughter, where she doesn’t have to compete for my attention, when it comes time to log on, my focus can solely be on work. I can get in and get it done. I love the fact Romy will get to grow up watching me work, be financially independent and love my job but also knowing that my favourite and most important role is mum.”

Candace and Hendrix

Over a decade ago, Candace had an established career as a recruitment specialist. Yet, when she and her husband, Todd, welcomed their son, Hendrix, Candace’s life took on a whole new focus. She chose to take time out from the workforce, focusing on raising a happy, healthy little human. This also gave Candace the chance to tap into her creative side, working part-time as a bridal gown designer and stylist, until Hendrix started school.

Returning to a fast-paced recruitment role after five years away was a big step, and to add to the challenge, Candace was joining a new organisation where she didn’t yet know the people or culture.

“I kind of felt like I was learning to walk again. The transition from being a stay-at-home mum to a full-time employee was a bigger shift than I expected. I thought someone might check in and ask, ‘How are you going?’ or ‘How are you settling in?’ But that didn’t happen.”

The workplace didn’t offer the human connection Candace had hoped for. While she was ready and willing to get back into the swing of things, she quickly sensed it wasn’t going to be the right environment for her.

“There was no real support or acknowledgement that returning to work after a break, especially as a new parent, might come with its own challenges. I didn’t feel like I could be honest on those rare days when my son was struggling. It wasn’t a safe or understanding space to say, ‘Hey, he’s just not okay today.’ But I knew I needed to be there for him. His wellbeing will always come first.”

Candace made the decision to leave. Not long after, she found herself in a far more supportive role, one that offered flexibility, trust, and a genuine understanding of life outside of work.

Today, Candace is thriving as a Strategist at EBA, with Hendrix now close to becoming a teenager. Looking back, she’s heartened by the shift she sees in many modern workplaces.

“I love that more organisations are recognising people as whole humans, not just employees. When you feel seen, supported and trusted, you give so much more. The workplaces that get this are the ones where people thrive, at work and at home.”

Mark, Eve and Violet

As the CEO and founder of EBA, and more importantly, as dad to Violet and Eve, Mark has experienced both sides of the coin when it comes to what it’s like for parents returning to work. After the birth of both of his girls, Mark, who held a salaried position, had two weeks of parental leave.

“Anyone who’s had a two-week-old knows what that’s like. You’re coming back to work after having had a life-changing event. You have to focus on work, on earning an income, but you’ve had no sleep, and you’re desperately missing your child. The challenges of that and the stresses and the pressures and the anxiety - it's huge.”

He emphasises that employers need to go beyond simply offering a parental leave package. They also need to acknowledge the emotional impact on employees of being separated from their baby.

“We need to be mindful of the psychological and mental changes employees returning from parental leave experience. Employers and industries have traditionally missed out on fantastic talent because of their mindset towards new parents and primary caregivers in particular. But it’s so important that we implement initiatives so people can build careers with their families and lives in mind. Even though it’s not always easy to do.”

Mark believes that employers should treat parents as the complex human beings they are - it's simply the right thing to do. And, it also makes business sense.

“I’ve consistently seen that when primary caregivers, in particular, return to work after parental leave, they can be exceptionally good at getting things done. While the first few months can be challenging, with daycare sickness bugs and the rest, what I’m looking for, and I suspect what other companies are looking for, are people who do their job really well in the hours that they work. It’s often these parents who are focused on outputs rather than hours, and they are amazing people to have in your team.”