In Episode 13 of Vita Talks, host Gianna Ricciardi is joined by Sophie Babinski, Principal Consultant at Pli & Repli and Co‑Founder of Manella, to explore how fast-paced organizations can better support employees through their parental leave experience.

Sophie shares a compelling case study from a pre‑IPO SaaS company of over 1,000 employees. Despite strong parental leave policies and DEI values, employees returning from leave often encountered vastly changed roles, emotional disorientation, and unclear expectations, especially in a culture built for speed.

Sophie and Gianna discuss how the consulting process uncovered discrepancies between policy and lived experience, and how interventions—like manager toolkits, intentional re‑onboarding, and new “empathy guides”—helped bridge those gaps. They outline practical changes, including comp-review cycles for returnees, manager check-ins during leave, and enhanced employee communication strategies. Sophie emphasizes that these improvements are low-lift but high-impact in terms of retention, trust, and employee well-being.

Who Should Listen?

• HR professionals seeking to improve return-to-work experiences after parental leave.
• People managers navigating how to better support employees during and post-leave.
• DEI and culture leads looking to bridge policy with real employee experience.
• Leaders in fast-paced or scaling companies aiming to retain talent during life transitions.
• Founders or HR teams at early-stage companies designing or rethinking parental leave policies.

Mentioned Links:

• Sophie Babinski’s LinkedIn
• Pli & Repli LinkedIn

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