Parental leave questions that show what makes coming back easier
Ask parents how their leave was supported, from arranging it to their first week back. Each question below comes with when to ask it and what the answer tells you.
What parental leave survey questions tell you
Parental leave survey questions ask employees who took leave how the company supported them: how easy the policy was to find, how the leave was arranged, how their work was covered, how much contact they had while away and how ready they felt to come back. Only the parents who went through it can tell you which part worked and which part needs fixing.
Ask four to eight weeks after the person returns, when they have settled back in but still remember the leave. Pick five to seven questions and share the link in your own email. The group is small, so answers can be recognized even with anonymous responses on; say who will read them.
Each written answer is read as it arrives and filed under a category and a theme from your own list, such as manager support or the return, with a sentiment and an urgency. The answers about what helped become a short guide for the next manager whose team member goes on leave.
- Questions
- 13
- Best asked
- Four to eight weeks after returning
- Industry
- HR and employees
- Where to find them
- From library in the Usertick survey editor, on every plan
The 13 parental leave questions, with when to ask each
Grouped by what they tell you. Use them as they are or change the wording.
Arranging the leave
Start with the overall rating, then how easy the leave was to find, arrange and talk about, which shows whether the policy works before leave begins.
- 01Stars
How well was your parental leave supported?
Five stars for how well the leave was supported overall. Results shows the average and the share who rated 4 or higher; ask it first so every parent leaves a score.
- 02Yes / No
Was the leave policy easy to find?
A yes or no on finding the leave policy. A No here is quick to fix: link the policy from the handbook, the intranet and the guide for managers.
- 11Customer effort
How easy was it to arrange your leave?
An effort score (CES) for arranging leave, on a seven-point scale. Results shows the average and the share who found it easy; a low share points to forms or approvals.
- 12Dropdown
Who did you talk to first about your leave?
Who the parent spoke to first about the leave. Results shows the share of each; a large share who went to nobody or to the handbook means managers may not feel like the first stop.
While on leave
These questions cover the time away: the paperwork, pay, cover for the work and how much contact the parent wanted.
- 03Matrix
Rate each part of your leave
Rates the paperwork, manager support, pay during leave and staying in touch. The heat map shows which part let parents down, and the row averages let you compare one year with the next.
- 04Multiple choice
How well was your work covered while you were away?
How work was covered while the parent was away. Results shows the share of each; any share for work that simply waited means parents came back to a backlog.
- 10Multiple choice
How much contact did you have with work while on leave?
Contact during leave on a five-step scale from far too much to far too little. Results shows the share of each, which helps managers agree on a contact plan before the next leave starts.
- 06Ruler
How many weeks of leave did you take?
Weeks of leave taken, on a ruler from 0 to 52. Results shows the median and the middle half; in a small group, consider leaving it out, since the number can point to one person.
Coming back and what helps
End with the return: how ready the parent felt, what helped, what would have made it easier and what would help parents most.
- 09Big scale
How ready did you feel on your first week back?
How ready the parent felt in the first week back, from 1 to 10. Results shows the average and a column per step; read low scores with the answers on what would have helped.
- 05Text
What would have made coming back easier?
An open question about the return. Answers name practical things, from a phased start to a catch-up plan, and the themes show which come up most often.
- 07Text
What did your manager do that helped most?
Asks what the manager did that helped most. Collect the answers into a short guide for managers whose team member is about to go on leave.
- 08Multiple choice
What would help parents here most?
Lets parents tick every kind of support that would help. Results shows a bar per option, a direct input for your next policy review.
- 13Date
When did you come back to work?
The return date on a calendar. Results shows a calendar of picked dates; skip it when your HR system already holds the date, since in a small group it can point to one person.
Tips for asking about parental leave
Small choices that get honest, useful answers.
- 01
Ask after people settle back
Send the survey four to eight weeks after the return, when the first busy weeks are over and the leave is still fresh.
- 02
Be honest about privacy
In a small group, answers are easy to recognize. Tell parents who reads the responses, and leave out the dates and weeks when the group is very small.
- 03
Turn answers into a manager guide
Collect what helped most into a one-page guide and send it to every manager whose team member is going on leave.
- 04
Agree on contact before leave
Use the contact answers to set a simple default, such as one check-in a month, and let each parent choose.
Add these questions to a survey
From the library to the first answers.
- 1
Open the library
In the Usertick survey editor, choose From library, filter by industry and topic, and add several questions at once.
- 2
Or paste your own list
Paste questions reads up to 10 questions from any text on Free, 100 on Starter and 200 on Pro and above, keeps your wording and picks an answer type for each.
- 3
Choose where it runs
Show the survey on your website, send it by email, share its link and QR code, or switch it to a conversation.
- 4
Read the answers
Results counts every score and choice, and Usertick reads each written answer and files it by topic, on every plan.
Templates and more questions about parental leave
Full surveys that ask about the same things, and neighboring topics in the library.
Templates
Browse all templatesFrequently asked questions
Four to eight weeks after the person comes back. Usertick can schedule the email up to 30 days ahead, or you can share the link in your own message.
With anonymous responses on, Usertick stores no user ID, traits or visitor ID for website, link or QR code surveys. Surveys sent through Usertick email are not anonymous, and in a small group the details of an answer can still point to one person.
Five to seven. Start with the overall rating, the leave grid, how ready the parent felt and the open question on coming back.
Keep the survey to how the company supported the leave and the return, and leave health out. Parents can raise anything else in a private conversation.
Yes. The question library comes with every plan, the free plan included, and the free plan covers 150 responses a month across your surveys.
Yes. Once a question is in your survey, reword it, change its options or its answer type, and add logic to skip it for some answers.
Yes. The library is translated into Usertick's built-in languages, and in any other language it shows in English for you to translate.
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