Meet Lesley Ye.
Lesley is the Head of Trade Marketing – International at The a2 Milk Company.
In the last 2 months she returned from having 20 weeks of gender-neutral paid parental leave courtesy of her employer as well as an additional 4 weeks unpaid leave (with super contributions) to bring her leave up to 6 months.
Returning to work 2 months ago to a hybrid working arrangement, Lesley works two days in the office and three days at home whilst her husband does the reverse – three days in the office, two at home. Their daughter is currently -8 months old and when Lesley and her husband are working from home she is cared for by her retired father who travelled from China for the sole purpose of caring for their daughter.
“As a working parent, one of the primary challenges I’ve faced is managing time effectively. Balancing professional responsibilities with parenting duties often leaves me with limited time for personal tasks or self-care. However, I’ve been fortunate to have strong support from my husband and parents. Their help has been invaluable.”
Whilst this is a short term solution (their daughter will go to formal childcare next year) it has been one of the many resources Lesley has drawn from to make her transition back to work easier.
There is not doubt when talking to Lesley that The a2 Milk Company’s culture, policies and practices have lightened her load as she finds her feet as a new parent. Here are some of her best hacks for making the return to work transition smoother.
Flexing it the Hybrid Way
Despite being sleep deprived in the last six months, thanks to The a2 Milk Company’s progressive flex policies Lesley has found the transition to parental leave “quite easy”, saying, “the good thing is my job is quite flexible”. For the last month of her pregnancy she was able to work from home which not only saved on commute time but helped with her tiredness. After giving birth she felt more emotional than normal but felt it was “still manageable” particularly after she started taking more care of herself, exercising more and bringing in the support of her father. This fired her up and by the time she was to return to her job she felt motivated to work again.
“… [I was] very excited about getting back to work… I still love my daughter but I also want to have my own life and go back to work so I can use different functions of my brain. I think now I have a good balance of work and life because I still have time to look after my baby and pursue my career.”
Parents At Work Resources
Lesley also utilised the Families@a2 Hub, an online educational platform for working parents and carers designed to support them through all stages of their work life journey. The Hub provides a range of family-related resources, including webinars, podcasts, and online courses.
Specifically Lesley found the preparing for parental leave and preparing for childcare Hub pages useful.
“The resources available on the Hub, such as information on preparing for parental leave, have been extremely helpful. They guided me through this challenging phase of my career and life, making the transition smoother.”
Staying Working Parent Fit
Lesley says that she makes time to work out regularly through the week to stay focused and healthy. “So if I feel stressed, I can let it out, by working out.”
What’s her workout of choice? Boxing, circuit training and weight training, which she says she feels more energised by and gives her a good nights sleep despite her daughter waking up 1-2 times through the night.
“From my own experience, maintaining a positive mindset and focusing on the present moment has been incredibly helpful. I remind myself to enjoy and embrace this special time, despite its challenges. I’ve learned that difficulties are often temporary, and managing stress effectively helps me balance work and family life more smoothly.
Additionally, regular exercise has been crucial for my well-being. Staying fit not only improves my physical health but also enhances my mental clarity”
Supportive Colleagues
Lesley also has a very supporting group of colleagues at The a2 Milk Company which she has relished, with daily conversations supporting her to have more confidence as a parent.
“I’m inspired by colleagues who have successfully navigated similar challenges. Their ability to balance career ambitions with family commitments while maintaining a positive attitude demonstrates that it is possible to achieve harmony between these two important areas of life.”
Lesley said she finds those that have had more than one child inspiring, saying that “because they can handle it, I think I can handle it as well,” referring to the normal work life tension that exists as a working parent with a newborn.
“I got tips from my colleagues like how to put my daughter to sleep during the day because she’s not a good sleeper. She’s good at night, but for the nap . . . she doesn’t like to nap at all. So my colleague suggested creating a dark environment for her so she knows it’s time for bed, it’s time for a nap.”
Lesley also kept in touch with her team members on their WhatsApp Group throughout her leave so she stayed up to date and connected with her team members to maintain thouse relationships and allow for a smoother transition when she returned.
What has Lesley found MOST supportive?
Like most parents, the answer is fairly obvious with interest rate hikes and inflated house prices, financial security has been a priority for Lesley.
“The most important thing has been the paid parental leave as it’s really reduced my financial stress. Knowing I had 20 weeks of paid leave really helped me fully focus on my newborn… this time was essential for bonding with my baby and adjusting to life as a new parent, significantly easing the transition.”
But The a2 Milk Company’s leave policies have been only part of the picture supporting Lesley through this period.
“But also my colleagues are really supportive and my manager as well as he’s a father of two daughters, so he’s been there . . . My colleagues checked in on me when I was pregnant and also after I returned to work to check how my daughter was doing which makes me feel really warm.”
