Wellness Wednesday Issue #76

🧴 Wellness: The best natural deodorants.

📅 Work: Master giving notice at work.

💡 Leadership: How to lead through AI’s impact on customer service.

🍔 Food: 25 quick dinners for busy evenings.

⚡️ Productivity: 10 time management tips for daily efficiency.

Preparing for maternity leave can be a mix of excitement and anxiety.

Whether it’s juggling your responsibilities at work or planning for the newest addition to your family, it’s all about finding balance and making sure you have everything in place.

Here are a few ways to get organized and ensure your time away is as seamless as possible for you and your team:

1. Know Your Rights and Benefits
Start by understanding your company’s maternity leave policy and your state’s family leave laws.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave. Check if your employer offers paid leave or if you can use accrued PTO.

Schedule a meeting with HR to clarify your benefits and how your health insurance will cover prenatal care.

2. Create a Transition Plan
Outline your key responsibilities and identify colleagues who can take over while you’re away.

Share a document detailing tasks, deadlines, and ongoing projects with your manager and team to ensure a seamless handover.

Don’t have your processes documented? Consider an AI tool like this one to help you do it quickly.

3. Schedule a Handoff Meeting
Organize a meeting with your manager and those covering your role.

Discuss your transition plan, clarify expectations, and address any questions they might have.

This helps prevent last-minute panic and ensures everyone knows their role.

• Tip: Schedule this meeting at least two weeks before your leave. Prepare a summary document to guide the discussion.

4. Inform Key Contacts
Notify important clients and partners about your upcoming leave and introduce them to your replacement. This maintains trust and ensures a smooth transition.

• Example: Send an email to key clients explaining your leave and introducing your temporary replacement. Here’s a template to get you started.

5. Set Up Automatic Responses
Update your email and voicemail with an out-of-office message indicating your leave dates and who to contact in your absence. This manages expectations and ensures urgent matters are addressed promptly.

• Tip: Use a simple message like, “I’m on maternity leave until [return date]. For urgent matters, please contact [colleague’s name and email].”

6. Prepare Your Workspace
Before you go, tidy up your workspace and ensure all documents and materials are accessible to those taking over.

• Tip: Organize your desk, file important papers, and ensure digital files are easily accessible. Leave a “quick start” guide for your replacement.

7. Discuss Flexible Work Options
Talk to your employer about flexible work options for your return, such as a phased return, work from home, or part-time hours. Negotiate these details early to set clear expectations and give your employer time to consider your request.

When it comes to weight loss plans, the truth is that one size does NOT fit all.

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Building connections is one of my favorite things to do.

In fact, a majority of my previous corporate roles were forged through connections—and not just professional ones, either.

How I met my current TA co-founders? A former colleague went to business school with one of them.

How I got an in with The Cleveland Orchestra? I babysat for someone who introduced me to her neighbor (who happened to be a former TCO employee).

How I landed a role at ZipRecruiter? Through a friend I’ve known since I was 14 (we kept in touch on and off).

But just meeting and knowing a bunch of people wasn’t what propelled me into these opportunities—they were earned through building meaningful relationships and demonstrating my value and commitment.

As summer kicks off, it’s the perfect time to sharpen your networking skills in preparation for a busy fall, when vacations end and industry events ramp up.

Here are some actions you can take to build a strong network:

• Be authentic and genuine. People can sense the BS when you’re only talking to them to get something out of it—don’t be that person. Ask open-ended questions, really get to know the person, and listen more than you talk.
• Leverage shared experiences. Start with common interests or mutual acquaintances. Shared experiences can help you build rapport quickly.
• Offer value without expecting anything in return. Knowledge-share, offer help whenever you can, be a connector and refer them to other beneficial contacts and opportunities you hear about, etc. If you can be a good connector, people tend to return the favor.
• Be adaptable and open-minded. When you’re willing to meet a diverse range of people and explore connections outside your usual circles, it can lead to unexpected opportunities.
• Be proactive and intentional. Don’t wait for networking opportunities to come to you. Reach out, schedule meetings, attend events, and make the effort to connect with people who can add value to your network.
• Cultivate a positive attitude. People are drawn to positive energy. It makes you more approachable and creates a welcoming atmosphere. As my friend Kara likes to say, “Charm to disarm.”
• Follow up and stay connected. After meeting someone, make an effort to maintain the relationship. Shoot a quick text, say hello on LinkedIn, DM a meme over Insta, whatever your preferred channel is with that person.
• Be respectful of other people’s time. Show up on time, keep meetings short and sweet, and be clear in your communication. Everyone’s busy, so showing that you value their time makes them more likely to want to connect with you again.

So get out there, meet some awesome people, and see where your network takes you.

I’ll kick us off. Let’s connect on LI if we haven’t already!

Joanna (Co-Founder of TA)

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No work is small.

Give your best at every task that comes your way; as they say, you never know what opportunities it can open for you in the long run.

Swati Garg, Executive Assistant Business Partner

⭐️ Help our TA community! Share your best career advice here.

🪜 Looking to climb the career ladder? CareerAddict has you covered with a 5-step guide to career planning. With tips and tricks on advancing your career, plus templates to jot down your bright ideas!

🌡️ When cramps hit, this heating pad is a lifesaver for some much-needed relief.

🎙️ Crime junkies are totally hooked on Season 3 of Counter Clock.

🍽️ This cozy dinner playlist sets the perfect vibe for those laid-back summer nights with friends.

• The Hollister Group is hiring for a Human Resources Business Partner (Boston, MA/Hybrid).
• Storm3 is hiring for a Chief Financial Officer (Boca Raton, FL/Hybrid).
• ACL Digital is hiring for a Brand Manager (San Mateo, CA).
• Aquent is hiring for a Retail Marketing Manager (Boston, MA/Hybrid).
• The Judge Group is hiring for a Product Marketing Manager (CA).