Few issues are as fraught for working parents as how to take parental leave. While many seek to take time off from work to bond with their new child, concerns about work and finances sometimes prevent full enjoyment and utilization of this timeframe. In The Parental Leave Playbook, author and consultant Dr. Amy Beacom and co-author Sue Campbell deliver an insightful treatment of how parents can take a leadership role when they take parental leave. The authors explain how to deal with the worries that many expectant parents have--becoming invisible at work, losing opportunities for promotion, seeing relationships deteriorate, and having difficulties juggling work and home roles. Readers of this book will learn how to set healthy and realistic expectations for their leave, transition smoothly to and from their leave period, maintain visibility at work, build better relationships, and nurture their career, all while strengthening their family. Using her proprietary RETAIN framework (the first evidence-based parental leave coaching program) and a three-phase, ten-touchpoint model, Dr. Beacom coaches readers through the entire leave process, emphasizing the critical points in the transition and when and how parents and managers must work together. Throughout the book, case studies and real-world examples illustrate and highlight the concepts contained in the book's framework and show how they're implemented in companies like Microsoft. Finally, the book is supplemented by robust leave support resources, including a Parental Leave Transition Assessment tool and a leave action plan template. Perfect for soon-to-be parents or those wondering how having a child will impact their careers and lives, The Parental Leave Playbook will also earn a place in the libraries of employers, managers, executives, and founders who wish to improve their company's parental leave program and ensure that those who take leave are properly supported.