This includes the full text of the touchpoints outlined in our Cocoon Life and Work Success Program for Parental Leaves.

Employee Path

*Kindly note that these emails pertain to parental leaves exclusively.

Upon Leave Share / 3 months out

Hi [Employee First Name],

You’ve designed your parental leave plan in your dashboard with a current start date of [Leave Start Date].

If you haven’t already done so, we recommend speaking to your manager and People team about your upcoming leave!

This can help get the ball rolling and make sure you’re on the same page as you plan for your leave.

We also find it can be helpful to share the news with any direct reports or team members you work closely with when you feel ready.

Depending on the relationship you have with your manager, this can feel easy, or it may cause you to feel some anxiety. What we’ve seen be most successful is an open conversation with your manager letting them know you have an upcoming addition to the family and that you plan to take leave in line with [Employer's Name] policy.

In this conversation, feel free to share your tentative dates, and note that things could shift depending on your personal circumstances—medical appointments may need to be scheduled during working hours, and due dates are only a best guess!

We’ll follow up in a few weeks with some more guidance on how to make sure you’re getting the most out of your leave transition plan by working collaboratively with your manager. If you have questions in the meantime, feel free to reach out!

Your Cocoon Team

We understand that parental leave can be sensitive; if anything changes in your personal circumstances, please let us know. You can edit your leave plan dates in your Cocoon dashboard at any time.

Leave transition plan / 6 weeks before leave

Hi [Employee First Name],

With your parental leave starting on [Leave Start Date], now is a good time to collaborate with your manager on your leave transition plan!

We find that the most successful out of office plans have the following:

Your expected leave dates (which you can update if anything changes)
A clear point of contact while you're out to triage general questions
A list of all projects in motion, including:
- A description
- Any processes or responsibilities that you handle (and a plan of how to document these and/or train someone in them)
- Expectations and goals of what should happen while you're out
- A clear point of contact for project-specific questions

When you’re ready, make sure to share the relevant details of this plan with anyone you work closely with, so everyone is on the same page!

We'll be reaching out again in a couple weeks to remind you about the benefits [Employer's Name] offers and how to take advantage of them as an expecting parent.

If you have questions at any time, feel free to reach out to us!

Your Cocoon Team

We understand that parental leave can be sensitive; if anything changes in your personal circumstances, please let us know. You can edit your leave plan dates in your Cocoon dashboard at any time.

Leave start check-in / 4 weeks before leave

Hi [Employee First Name],

With one month until your leave starts on [Leave Start Date] we wanted to check in to see if you have any questions, or if there’s anything we can help with.

We've put together some in-depth guides that answer all sorts of common questions. You may find them reassuring at this phase of your leave planning!

We also wanted to make you aware of the different benefits offered to you by [Employer's Name] to support you before, during, and after your leave. You can see some of these in the Benefits tab within your Cocoon dashboard.

Note that you'll have 30 days after your child's birth or placement in your home to add them to health insurance. Cocoon cannot do this for you, but we’ll send you a reminder after your expected due date. Make sure to look through your insurance options in advance so you're prepared to make the best decision for your family.

Please feel free to reach out with any questions!

Your Cocoon Team

We understand that parental leave can be sensitive; if anything changes in your personal circumstances, please let us know. You can edit your leave plan dates in your Cocoon dashboard at any time.

Leave start final check-in / 2 weeks before leave

Hi [Employee First Name],

Your parental leave is coming up on [Leave Start Date]!

Here's a quick reminder to update your leave transition plan and set up any out of office messages—including any points of contact—for while you’re out.

We'll reach out to you via email a few days after your child's expected due date or placement date to get some last bits of required information. Once we have that, we'll be able to send off any state and insurance paperwork needed to get you your income. (You can learn more about how leave pay will work here.)

If your child arrives early or late, please let us know as soon as possible! You'll be able to easily update your leave plan in your Cocoon dashboard to reflect their actual arrival date.

Any lingering questions before you head out? Totally normal. You may find some reassurance on common questions by taking a look at our in-depth leave guides:

If you don't find your answer there, reach out — we're happy to help or provide guidance wherever we can!

Your Cocoon Team

We understand that parental leave can be sensitive; if anything changes in your personal circumstances, please let us know as soon as possible. You can edit your leave plan dates in your Cocoon dashboard at any time.

Return to work initial check-in / 3 weeks before return to work

Hi [Employee First Name],

As you’re getting ready to return to work on [Leave Return Date], we wanted to check in and see if there’s anything we can help with.

A couple of things to keep in mind:

If you’d like to make any changes to your leave plan you can do so by logging into your Cocoon dashboard.
- If you do make changes to your plan, make sure you communicate with your HR team and manager.
Now is a good time to think about any adjustments to your typical working hours due to childcare and feeding needs!
- It can be helpful to write down what those are; whether that's flexibility around meeting scheduling, taking meetings with video off, or expectations around work hours or response time.
- Start thinking about how you'd like to communicate this to your manager and team in advance of your return, and how you'll have that conversation when you return to work.
- Depending on your family's plan and schedule, it can be helpful to start trialing any childcare routines ahead of your actual return to work.
Think about how you'd like to achieve your next career goals.
- Consider how you want to show up at work, what career goals are important to you, and how your new family member impacts both of those.
- Review your plan for what you want your first day, week, and month back to look like.
- Think about any discussions you'll want to have—with your manager, mentors, teammates, etc.—along the way.
Don't expect to do everything yourself!
- Connecting with and building a community is often one of the biggest contributors to a successful return to work.
- Reach out to parents at [employer's name] that you respect, and set up some recurring times to check in.

We hope this is helpful to help get you prepared for your upcoming return back to work. We know it's a big transition and there are a lot of things to think about, so please feel free to reach out with any questions or ways we can help!

Your Cocoon Team

We understand that parental leave can be sensitive; if anything has changed in your personal circumstances, please let us know. You can edit your leave plan dates in your Cocoon dashboard at any time.

Return to work second check-in / 1 week before return to work

Hi [Employee First Name],

As you’re getting ready to return to work in one week on [Leave Return Date], we wanted to check in and see if there’s anything we can help with!

Here are some more thoughts and reminders that might help you get organized as you start to think about returning to work:

List the things that have changed in your day-to-day, and how that might impact your time at work
- What hours will be easiest for you to take meetings in?
- Are there any changes to types of work you’ll want to focus on?
- How can you make sure you’re being there for your child in the ways that are important to you?
If you haven’t already, think about writing down your plan on how you'd like to achieve your next career goals.
- Consider how you want to show up at work, what career goals are important to you, and how your new family member impacts both of those.
- Check in again on how you'd like your first day, week, and month back to look.
Be ready to have a conversation with your manager about how they can best support you.
- You know best what will help you succeed. Think of what small gestures are important to you, or how your manager can empower you to take your next steps.
- Be specific! If you haven't taken the time to discuss something important to you, there’s more space for assumptions or misunderstandings to form.
Building a community is far and away one of the best indicators of a successful return to work.
- Think about any discussions you'll want to have—with your manager, mentors, teammates, etc.—along the way.
- Connect with other parents you respect, and set up some recurring times to meet with them over the next few months.
You don't need to do everything yourself, or have all the answers.
- Make sure you're checking in on your needs, getting rest, and asking for help before you need it.

We hope this is helpful—we'll reach out again as your day approaches, and check in after your return. Please feel free to reach out with any questions that have come up, or if you'd like to discuss any of this in more depth!

Your Cocoon Team

Return to work tomorrow check-in / 1 day before return to work

Hi [Employee First Name],

Tomorrow you return to [Employer's Name] from your time on leave! As you get ready to get back into things, here’s a few reminders and thoughts on how to make the most of your first day back:

Schedule any meetings that you haven’t already set up.
- Prepare for your first conversation with your manager, where you’ll talk through your leave transition plan and you can lay out any adjustments that may need to be made.
Don’t focus on trying to “catch back up.”
- That can make you feel as if you’re working from a deficit, and is a good way to set yourself up for exhaustion!
- Instead, take the opportunity to learn all you can, and even approach old problems from a new perspective.
Be judicious in how you spend your time.
- Make conscious decisions on what habits you want to maintain, and where you’re choosing to invest yourself.
- It can be easy to fall back into a prior routine by default! Keep checking in along the way with what your plan for success looks like.
Ask for help before you need it!
- There can be a lot of logistical hurdles that come with welcoming a new member to your family.
- Be open with your manager and team about where you may need flexibility, or how they can support you.
- This can feel hard sometimes, but is one of the best ways to prevent burnout and stress as you navigate these next few days and weeks.

You’ve got this, [Employee First Name]! Let us know if there’s any way we can help, or if there’s any outstanding questions you have.

Your Cocoon Team

Post leave initial check-in / 1 week back to work

Hi [Employee First Name],

With a whole week back at work under your belt we wanted to check in and see if there’s anything we can help with, and make sure you're settling in OK.

If you haven’t already, it’s a good idea to have a conversation with your manager and team about any adjustments that can help you in the transition back to work. Reach out to any mentors you have, and catch back up.

Check back in on your transition back plan and the goals you set while on leave! Make sure this week is moving you in that right direction.

If anything has come up since returning—or if you start rethinking what you might need to be successful—make sure you continue to partner with your manager on making this new work-life balance successful.

Together, we hope to help you create a plan where you can be your best at work while being the parent you want to be.

Wishing you and yours all the best!

Your Cocoon Team

Learned anything during your leave that you'd like to share with other parents?

If there's anything we could do better next time, please let us know!

Post leave final check-in / 1 month back to work

Hi [Employee First Name],

It’s been a whole month since you’ve returned from your leave! We wanted to check in one last time to leave you with some last thoughts, and wish you well.

We hope your return to [Employer's Name] has been going well over the past few weeks, and you’ve been able to keep sight of your goals as you learn and get acclimated to the new normal.

We're sure some things are different than you expected, and that’s OK! Remember to keep checking in with yourself, your family, and your mentors as you start building towards your next steps.

Keep building that support network as best you can; it’s a cliche for a reason, because it really does take a village.

This is the last email we’ll be sending you for a while, Jane, but we're always here if you have questions or there’s anything we can help with.

Your Cocoon Team

Learned anything during your leave that you want me to share with other parents? Would you recommend Cocoon to a friend?

If there's anything we could do better next time, please let me know!

Manager Path

*Kindly note that these emails pertain to parental leaves exclusively.

Manager leave share / Upon Leave Share

Hi [Manager First Name],

This is Cocoon - [Your Employer]'s leave provider. [Employee First Name] has submitted a leave plan.

As you may already be aware, [Employee First Name] will be taking parental leave starting on [Leave Start Date] and will be returning to work on [Leave Return Date]. If you haven't already had a talk about this, take a moment to congratulate [Employee First Name]!

Note that these dates do not include any additional sick days or time off that are tracked outside of Cocoon.

Going out on parental leave, while obviously exciting, can often be challenging for employees in terms of navigating work. Here are a couple of things you can do as a manager to help set [Employee First Name] up for success:

Ask [Employee First Name] how they're doing.
- Reacting well to the news, and really checking in to see how your report is doing, shows empathy and care for them as a person.
- Try not to make any assumptions on what [Employee First Name] will want or need, now or in the future; instead, ask them! You may be surprised how you can best support them.
Collaborate on a leave transition plan.
- Highlight any areas or projects which may need to be discussed or covered in order for work to continue smoothly during leave. To make this easy, we've created a leave transition plan template that you're welcome to use with [Employee First Name].
- Make sure to review your plan in advance of the leave start, and actively work towards ensuring it is completed ahead of time; due dates are only a best guess!
- Depending on their location, employees may be eligible for unpaid time outside of [Your Employer]'s covered policy. You may need to discuss some options about leave planning with HR and [Employee First Name].
Maintain a one-pager with any changes that take place in the team, and how projects have progressed during leave.
- You might want to take the time to keep this updated during your usual 1:1 meeting slot, or as part of the agenda of a weekly team meeting.
- Be ready to share it with [Employee First Name] upon their return to work!
Making sure [Employee First Name] feels supported during this time is one of the best ways you can retain talent across your team.
- Employees who feel supported in their team are much more likely to successfully hand over projects smoothly and get back up to speed upon return.
- Showing you can manage a transition like this gracefully will encourage the rest of your team that they too can be successful on your team and at [Your Employer] should they have a major event occur in their life.
Don't expect to have all the answers.
- You have a full team to support you - reach out to HR and managers you know who have successfully worked with reports who've taken leave.
- You've got us on your side!

When [Employee's First Name] leave starts, and again a few weeks before [Employee's First Name] leave is ending, we'll get back in touch with you to share some guidance to help ensure a smooth transition back to work. We'll also keep you up to date with any leave date changes, and additional legs of leave.

In the meantime, feel free to reach out if any questions come up. We're happy to help with things like understanding logistics, how to think about prepping your team, having conversations with [Employee First Name], or anything else!

Your Cocoon Team

Manager pre-leave prep / Two weeks before leave begins

Hi [Manager First Name],

[Employee First Name] parental leave is planned to begin [Leave Start Date]!

We've included some guidance on how you can best support Jane and your team over the next weeks, and ahead of [Employee First Name] return to work on [Leave Return Date].

Note that these dates are not inclusive of any additional sick days or time off that are being tracked outside of Cocoon.

Check in on [Employee First Name] transition plan.
- Highlight any areas or projects which may need to be reviewed, dropped, or expedited as [Leave Start Date] approaches.
- Is there adequate coverage for [Employee First Name] workload during their leave dates?
- Discuss any potential changes in circumstances, and how to best prepare for (and communicate!) any sudden leave changes.
Continue to support [Employee First Name], and model good behavior for your team.
- Employees who feel supported in their team are much more likely to successfully hand over projects smoothly, get back up to speed upon return, and successfully remain with their companies.
- Showing you can manage a transition like this gracefully sends a good signal to your team that they too can be successful at [Employer's name] when a major life event occurs.
Take advantage of the resources available to you.
- You have a full team behind you - reach out to HR and managers you know for support along the way.
- You've got us on your side!

Once again, when [Employee First Name] leave starts, and again a few weeks before [Employee First Name] leave is ending, we'll reach out for any updates or questions you may have!

Let us know if there's anything we can do to help.

Your Cocoon Team

Manger reminder employees leave starts / Employee Leave Begins

Hi [Manager First Name],

This is your team at Cocoon - [Your Employer]'s leave provider. [Employee's First Name] leave is beginning!

Now's a good time to start any habits or processes you'll want to keep in place while [Employee First Name] is on leave to be ready to welcome them back on [Leave Return Date].

Here's a review of some ways you can set you and your team up for success:

Maintain a one-pager with any changes that take place in the team, and how projects are progressing during [Employee First Name]'s leave.
- You might want to take the time to keep this updated during your usual 1:1 meeting slot, or as part of the agenda of a weekly team meeting - any time that isn't easy to schedule over or delay.
- Be ready to share it with [Employee First Name] upon their return to work!
Avoid reaching out during the leave for anything work-related, so that [Employee First Name] can take the time to focus on family.
- Bonding time is incredibly important for a new parent, and respecting that shows a lot of care and trust from you as a manager.
- Asking someone to work while on leave can be a violation of job-protection legislation, so think carefully before reaching out.
You're not alone - ask for help before you need it.
- Your HR team is there for any [Your Employer]-specific questions you may have, and as a resource for you and your team.
- Connect with managers you know who have successfully worked with reports who've taken leave. Their advice, or even just an empathetic ear, can be a great way to remind you of what's important to focus on.
- You've got us on your side!

A few weeks before [Employee's First Name] leave is ending, we'll get back in touch with you to share some more guidance to help ensure a smooth transition back to work. We'll also keep you up to date with any leave date changes, and additional legs of leave as they come up.

Feel free to reach out along the way if any questions come up. We're happy to help!

Your Cocoon Team

Manager pre-return prep / Two weeks before employee’s return to work

Hi [Manager First Name],

[Employee's First Name] plan has them returning to work from parental leave on [Leave Return Date]. Note that this date does not include any additional sick days or time off that are tracked outside of Cocoon.

To ensure [Employee First Name] has a smooth return back to work it can be helpful to make sure you have an up-to-date one-pager covering any updates they should be aware of.
- This should include any changes that have taken place in the team or projects that occurred during their leave.
We recommend setting up a meeting for the first day back to go over any changes that have come up for both [Employee First Name], and the team, during [Employee's First Name] leave.
- Use this time to understand any adjustments [Employee First Name] may need upon returning, and be ready to talk through a plan together.
- Be careful not to make assumptions on what [Employee First Name] may want or need - have an open mind, and make sure to ask questions along the way.
Keep in mind that there can sometimes be large adjustments that come with adding another member to your family.
- This is especially true if [Employee First Name] is a first time parent!
- There may be some changes in their plans from before taking leave; be ready to have an open conversation about what that may look like.
Don't expect to have all the answers, or do it all on your own!
- One of the biggest factors that influences a successful leave return is building a community - both for your report, and you as well.
- You have a full team to support you - reach out to HR and managers you know who have successfully worked with reports who've taken leave.
- You can encourage [Employee First Name] to seek out mentors who've navigated the return well, and support them as they get back into a new rhythm.

We hope this is helpful context for guiding [Employee First Name] back from their parental leave. Feel free to reach out if any questions come up, or there's anything we can help with!

Your Cocoon Team

Manager reminder employees return to work / Employee returns

Hi [Manager First Name],

[Employee First Name] is due to return on [Leave Return Date]! If you haven't already, make sure to welcome them back and set up a time to go over their return-to-work plan.

Note that this date does not include any additional sick days or time off that you've negotiated outside of Cocoon.

Make sure you've set up a meeting for the first day back to go over any changes that have come up for both [Employee First Name], and the team, during their leave.
- Talk through their career goals and any adjustments in their day-to-day.
- Work together on the transition plan you'd developed together to get them back up to speed, giving [Employee First Name] time to reacclimate to life at [Employer's Name].
- Be ready to make adjustments, and do your best to be reasonable and accommodating as they navigate this new part of their time at [Employer's Name].
- If [Employee First Name] doesn't report to work as expected, don't hesitate to reach out.
Remember that there can sometimes be large adjustments that come with adding another member to your family.
- Try to stay open-minded and creative during your discussions, and don't make assumptions around what [Employee First Name] will want - instead, ask how you can best support them.
- Doing a good job with this transition will only improve the ones to come, and show your team that this is a place where they can grow as their lives change.
Make sure to support yourself as well!
- Stay connected with other managers you respect that have successfully welcomed reports back from leave.
- Don't feel pressured to have every answer - you can always rely on your peers and your HR team when you have questions around how best to handle a situation.

We hope this has all been helpful to you in guiding [Employee First Name] through their parental leave. We know the two of you will be able to figure this out together, and make sure they have a great return to work with [Employer's Name].

Feel free to reach out if any questions come up around leave, or there's ever anything we can help with!

Your Cocoon Team

Learned anything from this leave that you'd want to share with us, or other managers?

If there's anything we could do better next time, or a resource you would've like to see, please let us know!

Manager pre - leave prep / If employee has more than one leave leg - two weeks before

Hi [Manager First Name],

It's that time again! [Employee's First Name] next leg of leave is beginning on [Leave Leg Start Date] and ending on [Leave Return Date] - not inclusive of any additional sick days or time off that are being tracked outside of Cocoon.

Check in on [Employee's First Name] transition plan.
- Highlight any areas or projects which may need to be reviewed, dropped, or expedited as [Leave Leg Start Date] approaches.
- Is there adequate coverage for [Employee's First Name] workload during their leave dates?
- Discuss any potential changes in circumstances, and how to best prepare for (and communicate!) any sudden leave changes.
Continue to support [Employee First Name], and model good behavior for your team.
- Employees who feel supported in their team are much more likely to successfully hand over projects smoothly, get back up to speed upon return, and successfully remain with their companies over the following months and years.
- Showing you can manage a transition like this gracefully sends a good signal to your team that they too can be successful at [Employer's Name] when their own major life events occur.
Take advantage of the resources available to you.
- You have a full team behind you - reach out to HR and managers you know for support along the way.
- You've got us on your side!

Once again, when [Employee's First Name] leave starts, and again a few weeks before [Employee's First Name] leave is ending, we'll reach out for any updates or questions you may have!

Let us know if there's anything we can do to help along the way.

Your Cocoon Team

Manager post leave check-in / Four weeks after employee has returned from their final leave leg

Hi [Manager First Name],

[Employee's First Name] has been back from their leave for just about a month! How're things going?

Here are some last thoughts on assessing how the transition is going. Hopefully we can provide some useful insight on how to set you, your team, and [Employee First Name] up for success at [Your Employer] in this new phase of their life.

If you haven't already, consider setting up a 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day check in - with concrete goals, and times to have open conversations.
- Take these times to talk through [Employee First Name]'s transition plan, career goals and any adjustments in their day-to-day that have arisen.
- Instead of trying to ask [Employee First Name] to "get back up to speed," instead consider framing this time as a re-onboarding, with all the care and patience that entails.
- Be ready to make adjustments, and do your best to be reasonable and accommodating as they navigate this new part of their time at [Your Employer].
Remember that there can sometimes be large adjustments that come with adding another member to your family.
- Try to stay open-minded and creative during your discussions, and don't make assumptions around what [Employee First Name] will want - instead, ask how you can best support them.
- The rest of your team will be watching to see how well [Employee First Name] is welcomed back, and reintegrated to the team. One of the best things you can do for your team is to show them an example of how they too can be successful returning from a leave.
Make sure to support yourself as well; this is a great opportunity to grow as a manager, and how you take care of yourself during this time can have a big impact on your team and career.
- Continue to stay connected with other managers you respect that have successfully welcomed reports back from leave.
- If you don't have any role models or mentors at your company, ask your network! Don't hesitate to reach out to someone you admire.
- Don't feel pressured to have every answer - you can always rely on your peers, and your HR team, when you have questions around how best to handle a situation.

We really hope this has all been helpful to you in guiding [Employee First Name] through their parental leave, and has been beneficial to you as well.

Feel free to reach out if any questions come up around leave, or there's ever anything we can help with!

Your Cocoon team

Learned anything from this leave that you'd want to share with us, or other managers?

If there's anything we could do better next time, or a resource you would've liked to see, please let us know!

Any questions? Please reach out to the Support team at [email protected]

Cocoon’s Life and Work Success Program for Parental Leaves

What emails does an employee receive before returning from medical leave?

What emails do managers receive?

Caregiver leave support in Cocoon

Policies tab: leave planning tool