Redefining Parental Leave at Cisco

[ad_1] Once I was anticipating my first baby final spring, I used to be decided to make a parental depart plan that was greatest for my household and demonstrated management on a matter I'm keen about.

<img class=" wp-image-466375 alignright" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/12/Rio-8-edit-scaled.jpeg" alt="Two light-skinned blonde women sitting on a beige couch holding a dark-haired baby and dog on their laps, smiling." width="475" height="547" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/12/Rio-8-edit-scaled.jpeg 2222w, https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/12/Rio-8-edit-260x300.jpeg 260w, https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/12/Rio-8-edit-889x1024.jpeg 889w, https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/12/Rio-8-edit-768x885.jpeg 768w, https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/12/Rio-8-edit-1333x1536.jpeg 1333w, https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/12/Rio-8-edit-1777x2048.jpeg 1777w" sizes="(max-width: 475px) 100vw, 475px"/>My state of affairs was a bit distinctive: whereas I determine as a lady and a mom, my spouse was carrying our baby. I type of fell into each the standard class of maternity depart in addition to paternity depart. This led me to grasp Cisco’s parental depart coverage, which I used to be fortunately shocked to be taught isn’t about gender. Usually talking, within the U.S., Cisco supplied 13 weeks of paid depart to main caregivers and 4 weeks to secondary caregivers. It's as much as the worker to determine themselves as main or secondary caregivers.

In my family, my spouse and I each work full-time and we each determine as moms. Finally, I made up my mind that I used to be a main caregiver and took benefit of the complete 13 weeks of paid depart at Cisco, despite the fact that I wasn’t carrying or birthing our child. This was a troublesome choice for me to make, as I had many non-birthing co-workers on my workforce and throughout my operation who recognized as secondary caregivers and solely took 4 weeks of depart. A part of me felt obliged to do the identical since I wasn’t carrying or breastfeeding our child. Whereas the plain driver of my choice was to maximise my time at residence with my new child and post-partum companion, I used to be additionally acutely aware of breaking the stigma that non-birthing dad and mom ought to solely take 4 weeks of depart as secondary caregivers.

There have been many individuals at Cisco earlier than me who labored arduous to advocate for the advantages out there to workers in the present day. I wouldn’t honor their work if I didn’t take full benefit of my out there advantages. And I knew others wouldn’t really feel comfy doing the identical until we began main by instance.

If we would like social norms to shift, we should begin by performing in another way. I'm hopeful that my choice to determine as a main caregiver and take the complete 13 weeks of paid depart will encourage different non-birthing moms, fathers, and fogeys to make the identical choice, if out there to them and greatest for his or her households.

It’s vital to acknowledge that I felt protected and supported in my choice due to the unbelievable tradition throughout Cisco, and inside my fast workforce. Stepping away from my function for 1 / 4 of a 12 months and forcing my workforce to make do with out my day by day impression was scary. There have been moments the place I feared that my worth and contribution to the enterprise can be minimized as soon as the workforce found out methods to cowl my tasks. I felt responsible about my teammates and chief taking over my work. I used to be involved that I would miss progress alternatives or not be thought-about for stretch initiatives. After all, I feared that others would choose me for taking the complete main caregiver advantages whereas my companion was pregnant and delivering our baby.

<img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-466368 alignleft" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/12/giveback.jpg" alt="Small team sitting at two separate tables in window-filled office holding up hand-drawn Christmas cards. " width="475" height="356" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/12/giveback.jpg 2016w, https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/12/giveback-300x225.jpg 300w, https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/12/giveback-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/12/giveback-768x576.jpg 768w, https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/12/giveback-1536x1152.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 475px) 100vw, 475px"/>Constructing a tradition of open dialogue round work-life stability was step one in shifting this mindset. After being at Cisco for 5 years and taking part in numerous Girls of Cisco roundtables the place we mentioned a handful of subjects, together with methods to stability profession and household, I had already carried out the private work of shifting my mindset on this matter. As a substitute of asking, “What's going to individuals assume if I take 13 weeks off as a non-birthing mom?” I requested myself, “What instance will I be setting to future anticipating dad and mom if I don’t take full benefit of Cisco’s parental depart advantages?” This made my choice a no brainer.

The perfect a part of my story is what occurred after my maternity depart.

Though sleep-deprived, I by some means got here again to Cisco extra energized than ever. Closing my laptop computer for over 1 / 4 of a 12 months utterly lowered any sense of burnout. My morale at work was excessive — I had a optimistic perspective. As a brand new mom, I used to be keen and in a position to join with my colleagues and purchasers in new methods. My productiveness elevated as I used to be motivated to make each minute at work depend to protect valuable time within the early mornings and late afternoons with my household. I didn’t carry resentment at work as a result of I had simply spent months of high quality time with my child and companion. I can say with full confidence that my work and impression are higher as a result of I made a decision to maximise time with my household when my son was born.

<img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-466367 alignright" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/12/team.jpeg" alt="One man and four women pose together holding large silver trophy. " width="475" height="407" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/12/team.jpeg 2519w, https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/12/team-300x257.jpeg 300w, https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/12/team-1024x877.jpeg 1024w, https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/12/team-768x658.jpeg 768w, https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/12/team-1536x1315.jpeg 1536w, https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2024/12/team-2048x1754.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 475px) 100vw, 475px"/>I'd be minimizing the unbelievable quantity of labor all dad and mom do every day for his or her youngsters and companions if I didn’t acknowledge that sustaining a optimistic work-life stability requires self-discipline and planning every day. Being a dad or mum and bringing your greatest self to work won't ever be straightforward, however taking the complete quantity of paid depart out there to me at Cisco gave me the time and focus I wanted to mirror on this, regulate to our new life modifications, and construct a plan.

My recommendation to anticipating dad and mom who work full-time and have parental depart advantages out there is to contemplate what message your parental depart choice sends to these in your group. If you happen to aren’t taking full benefit of your advantages, mirror on why.

It has been a privilege to work at Cisco, the place we have now such a powerful people-first tradition. Due to that, I'm dedicated to expressing my values and provoking others by means of the selections I make every day, and I'm so grateful to the various people at Cisco who've and proceed to encourage me.

All of us come from completely different backgrounds and views, and Cisco gives inclusive, adaptable advantages that evolve to help us just like the enhancements to paid Baby Bonding Depart efficient within the U.S. in 2025. For well being and wellbeing improvements, try our lately launched Function Report.