Parental leave strategy is evolving. Here’s what CHROs should know

Jenna Vassallo

Feb 12, 2026

What can HR leaders learn from someone who spent years shaping global workforce strategy?

Michael Fraccaro spent over a decade leading global HR at Mastercard, including as Chief People Officer and now Senior Fellow. He brings sharp insight into how parental leave connects to talent, culture and business continuity.

Michael recently joined Parentaly's CHRO Advisory Board. His passion for helping organizations rethink how they support employees during one of the most pivotal transitions of their lives was clear when we had him join us on Parentaly's podcast.

Here are three key takeaways from our conversation that every HR leader should keep in mind as it pertains to parental leave strategy and the future of work:

The False Tradeoff episode 45: Parental leave as a strategy: Lessons from Mastercard’s Former Chief People Officer Michael Fraccaro

Episodee 45

The False Tradeoff

Parental leave as a strategy: Lessons from Mastercard’s Former Chief People Officer Michael Fraccaro

Listen now

‍1. Parental leave transitions are full of overlooked risks

Parental leave is a moment of intense change - both personally and professionally. But companies rarely plan for the full scope of what’s at stake for both individuals and the business.

Things like career progression, team dynamics, emotional wellbeing, coverage planning and reonboarding plans are all important pieces of the puzzle. Without thoughtful preparation, even top-performing employees can feel uncertain about their future or disconnected from their role.

And for the business, poor planning can lead to productivity gaps, unmet team goals and unnecessary attrition.

The implications for HR are clear: parental leave must be treated not just as an absence to manage, but as a high-stakes moment in the employee lifecycle.

2. Managers need resources to lead through parental leave, too

Most companies don’t have formal parental leave planning at all - especially for managers. And yet, the manager is often the most influential factor in whether an employee has a positive or negative experience and whether the team stays on track in their absence.

Without proactive guidance, even well intentioned managers can unintentionally derail a smooth transition. Equipping them with tools, clear expectations and real-life scenarios ensures that employees feel supported and set up for success both before they go out and when they return.

It also helps teams cover for their colleagues in ways that are sustainable and goal-oriented, preventing burnout and breakdowns in work transitions.

Michael adds that even small tweaks can make a big difference for parents, sharing an example related to work travel accommodations:

“It could be choosing a hotel with a fridge for pumped milk, or shortening a trip by two days. The tweaks are small, but the impact is huge.”

3. Leave support is a talent strategy, not just a perk or benefit

Too often, parental leave is positioned as a generous benefit rather than a business-critical investment. Michael urges HR leaders to reframe their approach and track outcomes.

Rather than focusing only on policy, he urges HR leaders to look at the business metrics that matter most: retention, productivity, and turnover. These directly reflect the ROI of supporting employees through life transitions.

Michael believes this represents the next evolution in modern talent strategy: treating parental leave as core to employee experience, workforce planning, and long-term business success.

Because as he put it:

“The future of work is about investing in your people. Supporting parents is part of that. It’s good for the employee, the company and society.”

To celebrate all we’ve accomplished, our team shared what they’re most proud of since joining the team:

I'm most proud of how much we have done to improve the single hardest moment for women's careers (going on parental leave) ... one that is often shrouded in insecurity and fear. We've been able to help advocate for so many women (and men!) in a way that is empowering and truly life-changing.

Allison Whalen, CEO & Founder

What am I most proud of? Growth! Growing a category of support that didn't exist before Parentaly. Growing from a one-woman bootstrapped operation to a global team of 25+ employees and coaches. Growing our overall impact for working parents, with companies investing in our parental leave programming to support employees all over the world. And growing as humans: new babies, new friends, new life experiences... all while tackling new and exciting work challenges together.

Rich Burke, Head of Growth

When I reflect on what I am personally most proud of during my time here, it's working alongside a team where we constantly evolve and optimize everything that we do in order to deliver the best possible experience for the folks going through our programs. It sounds cheesy, but there are processes that my team and I used to do 100% manually that are now completely automated and systems in place that have become second nature to how we operate. Working with such thoughtful, smart, and creative people is incredible.

Sara Ophoff, Senior Program Manager

I’m most proud about doing work that makes parents feel confident and empowered about their careers during a time that can be overwhelming and challenging – not only for our clients and users who go through Parentaly’s programs, but also with our advocacy work on LinkedIn, through our podcast and other big campaigns that make a difference. It’s been pretty rewarding to build a brand people know and love because what we’re doing resonates with so many employees’ experiences in the workforce.

Jenna Vassallo, Head of Brand & Marketing

I am so proud of the way we've approached growth with such care and intentionality - with every adjustment we've made to our offerings, we've never lost sight of our goal to provide the most supportive and valuable experience for our users. I love looking back on the early stages of conversations and building that have led us to the experience we offer today. Personally, I am extremely proud of the work I've done to scale and automate our backend!

Rachel Andes, Program Associate

I am most proud of the work we do every single day to make a positive impact on working parents! Everyday I get to work with an amazing group of people…we work hard but we also have fun.

‍Sarah Gruber, Client Partner

I'm proud of scaling an employee experience that consistently delivers positive outcomes for new parents and their organizations. Our north star has always been the user, and we never sacrifice our high quality bar!

Mansi Kothari, VP of Product & Experience

I feel a sense of pride that I get to work behind the scenes supporting everyone. I’m proud to see all of the collaboration between the team and how Parentaly positively impacts employees.

Leo Manalo, Executive Assistant

I'm most proud of going through the Parentaly program myself! I'm so proud to work for and promote this company in a time where parental leave and supportive policies are at the forefront of a national conversation. But beyond this, I'm most proud to call myself a participant.

Emmy Carragher, Enterprise Partnerships

I’m really proud of the work I did to expand our coaching bench globally at Parentaly. It was so rewarding, not to mention insightful, to connect with talented coaches from around the globe. This expansion not only enriched our coaching offerings but also strengthened our commitment to making a meaningful impact on families all over the world.

‍Nicole Hagemann-Bex, Senior Coaching Operations Manager

I have tremendous pride in the knowledge that what I am doing will change the career landscape for new parents, particularly mothers. This will make it more likely that my daughter can have a career AND a family without worrying about the unintentional negative impact of taking parental leave. Nothing makes me prouder than that.

Mindy Himmel-Brown, Strategic Partnerships

In my short time at Parentaly, I'm proudest of the work we're doing with our clients' ERG groups to elevate the stories and advice of actual working parents. It's such an impactful way to spread the word about Parentaly as an essential resource for all people growing their families, and the managers who support them!

Alex Diskin, Enterprise Account Manager

I'm most proud about using LinkedIn to connect with others. I was recently able to share a helpful return to work doc with 50+ new people looking to make a difference at their company. Was pretty cool that people from Chewy, McDonald's, Honda, Cisco, AWS, Walmart and more want to integrate just a piece of what we have to offer. Also...I'm so proud of the way I feel as an employee at Parentaly. For the first time in my career my personal interests align with my professional interests and I've never felt more motivated.

Jenny Hurwitz, Strategic Partnerships

I'm really proud of being able to help the Experience team by handling the supportive functions so they can focus on the bigger picture. It feels great to know that I’m making things easier for them and contributing to the team’s success.

James Mango, Executive Assistant

Tagged

HR & policy

CHRO

Podcast recap