Paid parental leave is table stakes for employers competing for talent: 94% of employees said they would consider a company’s parental leave policy when evaluating a job offer.

That’s according to Parentaly’s study of nearly 3,000 women who took parental leave, which looked beyond policy to examine the impact on employees’ careers, teams and the business.

The research surfaced challenges during the leave transition. For women with fully paid  leave, career progression was the top concern – ahead of childcare and health – yet only 20% received manager support in this area. More than half of parental leaves resulted in team burnout, highlighting the ripple effect these transitions have across the business.

The impact extends beyond the leave itself: 73% considered leaving their employer after their parental leave, one-third of whom actually left within 18 months. Of those who left, only 4% exited the workforce, suggesting most continued working elsewhere.

The upside: intentional leave planning drives stronger outcomes. Employees with effective managers were 1.7x more likely to stay after returning, while those with strong coverage plans were over 2x more likely to feel confident about their career trajectory. 67% of employees with very positive leave experiences returned equally or more engaged, compared with 37% of those with poor experiences.

Together, structured support through parental leave can strengthen retention, reduce team disruption and help employees return with confidence.