From Leave to Layoff

When Shayla returns from six months of parental leave, she's ready to re-engage with the job she loved. Instead, she faces complete silence, discriminatory treatment, and a systematic dismantling of her role. In this episode, Rebecca and Kim are joined by Jessica D. Winder, Chief People Officer and founder of Hidden Gem Career Coaching, to dissect one of HR's most infuriating failures: the botched return from parental leave. From ghost-town calendars to selective return-to-office mandates, from glass cliff assignments to single-person "layoffs," this story reveals how companies weaponize policy to push out new parents. Jessica, who's successfully returned from leave with two sets of twins, shares what good re-entry looks like and why this situation is textbook discrimination. The conversation gets real about why people stay in bad situations, how HR fails to intervene, and what managers and organizations must do differently to support returning employees. If you've ever wondered why parental leave return rates are abysmal, this episode answers that question with brutal clarity. Key Takeaways for People Leaders:  Treat returners like new hires—full re-onboarding required  Front-load support, back-load expectations Single-person layoffs are almost never legitimate  Policy changes that affect only recent returners signal discrimination  Check in at 30/60/90 days minimum If you're an HR professional, people manager, or someone planning for leave, this episode gives you the framework to do better—and the language to call out what's wrong. Resources: Submit your HR confession: [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices