Best Practices — On-Ramping

Recently, law firms are offering attorneys returning from maternity, adoption, or caregiver leave to ramp back up into their practice. These “on-ramping” policies, which allow for a gradual return to a full-time schedule or an easy introduction to a reduced hour schedule, have become popular and well-utilized. PAR has collected best practices in the on-ramping area:

Ramp up program models with schedules ranging from 3 months to one year:

  • After leave, provide automatic (upon request) 3-month graduated return on individualized schedule
  • 50% of full time in the first month back
  • 60% 2nd month
  • 70% 3rd month
  • During or after phase-in, attorney can return to full-time or propose more permanent flexible work arrangement
  • 70% of previous schedule for 6-10 months after return
  • Automatic “pace reduction option” for associates, scheduling reduced pace for up to 6 months without prior approval
  • Flexible return where attorneys can propose their own return schedule over which they gradually progress back to work over 12 months. Includes working at home, fewer days, reduced hours, or any combination.
  • Option to work reduced schedule for up to 6 months within first year following birth or adoption.
  • Automatic one-year part-time option for returning attorneys

Other Leave Support for Ramping Down & Ramping Up:

  • Provide a “leave buddy” from the same practice area to give attorneys someone to talk with about issues and concerns.
  • Have a maternity mentoring program — mother to choose one or two mentors from available pool based on her needs or help her to find appropriate mentor (e.g., new mothers, mothers of multiples, single mothers, practice area, etc.) about 2-3 months before maternity leave begins. Maternity mentors act as sounding boards and provide guidance on preparing to go on maternity leave, handling work requests and communication during leave, selecting a work arrangement upon returning, and gearing back up for work after leave.
  • Offer counseling sessions with therapists trained in helping parents with family and work transitions.
  • Provide a maternity leave “toolkit” with tips tailored to the individual to help them both as new mothers and to give them guidance on how to return to work.
  • Send small gifts to mother/child/new dads.
  • Connect each woman with a network of other women who stay in touch while the new mother is on leave, and help prepare her and the workplace for her return.
  • Develop a “parental support program” to deal with the problems and issues of new parents re-entering the workplace while simultaneously caring for a new baby.
  • Encourage fathers-to-be to take paternity leave; and allow on-ramping for new dads.