Looking to return to work?

A former colleague and friend sent this to me last week after hearing about all the challenges I've been facing returning to work after caregiving the last 25 years. It's been an interesting journey returning to work, finding only part-time positions at best. A journey that continues to be even more difficult than the one Elisabeth took us on 25 years ago.

Path Forward is a nonprofit organization on a mission to empower people to restart their careers after time spent focused on caregiving. They fulfill this mission by working with companies to create and run mid-career internships — also known as “returnships” — that give women and men a jump start back to a professional career while giving companies access to a diverse, untapped talent force.

Since 2016, they have worked with more than 50 companies to create a return to work programs, including Walmart, Netflix, Apple, SAP, NBCUniversal, Verizon, PayPal, Intuit, and others.  More than 80% of the participants in their programs have been hired by the companies where they completed their returnships.

Looking to return to work?

"It’s important to reconnect with your professional self. In our culture, our identities are so tied up with what we do. When you’re working you describe yourself as, “I’m an accountant, I’m a lawyer,” and when you aren’t working, you have to describe yourself in a different way. Re-training helped me start recognizing myself in a professional context, but what really helped me was connecting with former colleagues. Just talking with old coworkers and people in your network helps you reconnect to that version of your life and a sense of identity around your career. It will help you interview well, be more confident, and project a professional, capable image." -  Beth Frasco

Beth Frasco, Senior Business Analyst NBCUniversal, took a 16-year break from her wireless engineering career to support her growing family through several big moves. She talks about her returnship experience in the Act Two program at NBCUniversal, how she prepared for her return to work, and the steps she took to reconnect with her professional self.

Questions? Check out their FAQ for answers. Looking for guidance on where to start? Get a  free Career Restart Kit and find resources on job searching, career strategies, work/life balance, and more on our blog.

Sign up here to become a participant. You’ll get a weekly newsletter and job alerts when new return to work opportunities open up in your area. 

Looking to hire returners?

If you’re looking to tap into the diverse and experienced talent pool of people returning to the workforce, Path Forward can help you quickly and effectively start a return to work program at your company. Leveraging best practices learned from our work with more than 50 companies, we’ll deliver documentation and training for your staff, recruitment marketing support, and professional development support for the returners that you hire into your program. 
Contact them Here

Another Reason Why We Need Protected Status

Labor Dept Says IEP Meetings Qualify For Family and Medical Leave

BY JESSICA WATSON  DECEMBER 19, 2019

Ridofranz / Getty Images Pro

Parents with children in the special education system often struggle to balance work with the many appointments and school meetings kids with disabilities can require. Things just got a bit easier, thanks to a new Labor Department opinion that IEP meetings qualify for leave coverage under the Family and Medical Leave (FMLA).

IEP meetings, or Individualized Education Plan meetings, are normally held once a year to determine the course of special education services a student will receive through the school system. Those services often include therapy prescribed by a doctor like speech, occupational or physical therapy. Since family doctor visits fall under FMLA, it’s logical that IEP meetings should as well. But employers haven’t always interpreted the law that way.

A parent’s presence at an IEP meeting has long been a hot topic in and out of the classroom because IEP meetings can be held without the parent present. If a parent is unable to get time off of work they may feel pressure to let the meeting continue without them, missing out on being a valuable part of their child’s educational plan.

The new opinion helps underscore for employers the importance of IEP meetings. Parents of children with special needs often feel like they are taking more time off work than co-workers. Doctors appointments, therapy visits and school meetings can multiply quickly for children with special needs. The Labor Department’s blessing means parents may feel a bit less guilt in leaving work for yet another family-related meeting.

The FMLA doesn’t cover everyone — but for those covered, the new opinion will bring relief.

Janel Mills, mother of a daughter with autism, is cheering the change. “I’ve always felt conflicted on whether I could take time from work for IEP meetings, or if I would be forced to use vacation time that I couldn’t spare,” Mills says. “It’s great that there’s a clear message to employers that IEPs are critical for parents to attend, and parents don’t have to worry about whether or not they can request the day off.”

Stephanie Giese, a Florida mom with a child who receives special education services, says this shift will improve her family’s involvement in IEP meetings. “We’ve been fortunate that I am able to stay home, but I think this decision is awesome because it will help with the division of labor and bringing more dads or at-work parents into the education process.”

“Often education decisions can fall solely on the at-home parent which builds stress and isolation in a marriage,” Giese continues. “There have been many times I went to IEP meetings alone because my husband didn’t have enough vacation time built up at work.”

For a family whose child is receiving special education services, IEP meetings can be just as important as visits to a doctor or specialist. The Labor Department’s support for parental attendance at these important meetings is a welcome show of support for families who certainly deserve it.


Jessica Watson

Jessica Watson is a freelance writer, author and the blogger behind Four Plus an Angel. Mom to five kids, four in her arms and one in her heart, she tries hard to enjoy them every moment but sometimes dreams of a week alone with a pile of her favorite books. "Four Plus an Angel" - https://fourplusanangel.com/