One of Construction Dive’s Construction Champions from 2024, Rebecca Ozols Goss is vice president of growth and strategy at Nashville-based Bell Construction. Opinions are the author’s own.
For many working parents, parental leave is both a milestone and a minefield. It’s one of the most rewarding times of life, yet it often comes with anxiety about career setbacks, team disruptions and company expectations.
Leaders have mixed feelings about leave, too. Before I had my daughter, I admit that leave seemed like a disruption to daily operations. At the same time, I valued the importance of family above all else.
As an executive and co-owner of a leading construction firm, I’ve always believed in supporting working parents, but experiencing it firsthand changed my perspective on what real support looks like.
Parental leave is more than a human resources decision; it’s a leadership test. The way a company approaches it shapes workplace culture, employee retention and team performance long after those weeks are over. As talent shortages persist and workforce expectations shift across the industry, companies that don’t adapt will fall behind.
Attracting talent
Employees remember how they were treated during major life transitions. If they feel supported, they return more committed. If they feel like an inconvenience, they start looking for the door.
Parental leave is one of the clearest indicators of company culture. It sends a powerful message when executives take leave themselves, encourage employees to use their leave and recognize those who step up in the interim. It tells employees their contributions matter at every stage of life, not just when they’re in the office.
But time off isn’t enough. Today’s workforce expects more: leave for both parents, flexible return-to-work plans and reassurance that starting a family won’t quietly derail their career. Leaders must research and refine their parental leave policies to be competitive. Companies that get this right build loyalty, trust and a reputation as a place where people want to stay.
That trust goes both ways. Leaders need to stop assuming that working parents are less productive. Parenthood forces a new level of focus. It sharpens time management and decision-making in ways that benefit companies. I’ve seen new parents return and work more efficiently than ever, making the most of every minute. The companies that recognize this will gain a competitive edge.
Empowering teams
One of the biggest concerns executives have about parental leave is how it affects output. Who will cover responsibilities? Will productivity take a hit? Will things fall through the cracks? I had those same concerns before my own leave. Instead of treating it as an interruption, I chose to see it as an opportunity. My team was able to build confidence and take ownership in ways they hadn’t before.
Before I stepped away, I created a transition plan that outlined who was responsible for what, but more importantly, I gave my team full decision-making authority. They were not filling in; they were leading. And I had full trust in them.
Recognition was key to making my plan work. Employees who take on extra responsibility during a colleague’s leave should know their efforts are appreciated. Acknowledge their contributions, celebrate their growth and ensure they see it as a path to greater opportunities. This could look like public recognition, career development opportunities or a pay increase that reflects their expanded role.
When people feel valued, they rise to the occasion. And when leadership backs that trust with real investment, employees are far more likely to stay engaged and committed long-term.
Returning to work
A strong parental leave policy is important, but what happens when employees return is just as critical. A one-size-fits-all return policy can make that transition harder than it needs to be for people and companies.
For my family, staggering leave with my husband was the best solution. It allowed us to support each other’s careers while ensuring one of us was home. For other employees, flexibility might mean easing back in with a phased schedule, working remotely for a period or adjusting workloads while they get back into the rhythm of things.
Companies that take a thoughtful approach to re-entry make the transition easier for returning parents and the entire team, increasing retention across the board.
It’s time to stop treating parental leave as an obligation and start seeing it as an industry advantage. How a company handles leave sends a message about its culture, its leadership and whether the people at the top truly care about their employees.
Before my own leave, I thought I understood what working parents needed, but experiencing it gave me a new perspective. I’ve never felt more grateful — for my time with my daughter, for a team I can trust and for a career that allows me to be both a leader and a mother. I also know how rare that balance can be, and that’s exactly why I want to change the way leaders think about leave.
Supporting working parents isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s a successful business strategy. No one should have to choose between being successful at work and present at home. The companies that embrace this philosophy will be the ones shaping the future of work.
