Building a new parental leave culture one word at a time

Dr. Sarah Cotton and Dr. Amy Beacom

Many of us used to wonder why our English teachers were so pedantic and picky about the language we used as students. “Why does it matter?” we would moan when we got back a paper full of red ink.

As perinatal workplace consultants, we have a newfound appreciation for our old English teachers’ critiques.

Our work, which specialises in the emerging field of parental leave coaching, reminds us daily about the power of language and the subtle cultural messages it can send, intentionally or not.

We believe that while support for working parents has come a long way, there are three things language needs to do to help us build a better parental leave culture. It must be inclusive, opportunity finding, and bridge-building.

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