After returning from 12 months of maternity leave on January 30, Silva walked back into an office with more experience and more capable leaders than when she left.Mel Silva says Australian bosses need to start thinking of parental leave as a development opportunity for top talent.”I got to spend that full year with [the baby]. It was really great. I was not anticipating homeschooling during a lockdown with a newborn.
“I think if organisations are seeing people taking maternity leave or paternity leave as an issue or problem to be solved, you’re really missing that opportunity,” she says. Their promotions subsequently created an opportunity for more than a dozen people to learn new skills and take a step up the career ladder, Silva says.
Not offering an equivalent to those who choose not to be parents