THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2023 39 Being prepared with information and options can help make this process easier and can lead to a better outcome while you are away from the office. Delivery location. Your plans regarding the location for the delivery will determine when you plan to be out of the office. If you are overseas and plan to medevac to deliver your baby, the department, with post concurrence, will allow you to telework in the U.S. or at post for the time between your departure from post and your baby’s arrival. This makes it possible to keep working from the delivery location while saving your leave for after the baby’s arrival. You may also be able to work remotely for a domestic office. If you choose to stay at post to have your baby, you may be planning to work until the day the baby arrives or just shortly before. Dealing with varying reactions. Sadly, some parents have faced reprisals—from subtle sarcasm to offenses on an equal employment opportunity (EEO) level—when they announce, plan for, and take leave after the birth of a child. One colleague advises: “Be prepared to advocate for your continued inclusion in travel and leading important issues in your portfolio.” Pregnancy is an EEO-covered status. (See more about the definition of pregnancy discrimination at www.eeoc. gov/pregnancy-discrimination.) Options for Coverage While You Are Out Although you are not solely responsible for helping your office figure out how to cover your absence, being prepared with information and options can help make this process easier and can lead to a better outcome while you are away from the office. If you are in a supervisory position, your absence can also give your deputy or others on your team an opportunity to step up and cover different aspects of your job. Here are some possible options. • State Department employees on temporary duty (TDY) status: A Foreign Service or Civil Service colleague in temporary duty status may be available to cover the length of your absence, budget permitting (normally the bureau covers TDY expenses). This could be a Washington, D.C.–based individual or a colleague at a neighboring post. Also consider colleagues currently on leave without pay (LWOP) who may be in a position to accept a short TDY assignment. • Retired Foreign Service officers on contract with State (known as reemployed annuitants, or REAs): With deep knowledge of the State Department, and pending available funding, these employees may be able to come to post for a short-term rotation. Your home bureau would have to fund the position, travel, per diem, and housing. • Presidential Management Fellows (PMFs): Participants in this program are allowed to work temporarily at other agencies, including overseas, for short periods. Coordinate with the PMF office in GTM. If you are leaving post, consider making your housing available to the person who will cover your position during the time you are away; this can reduce the cost to your post and make a PMF an easier sell. • Employees on detail from other agencies: This option may work only for those covering certain very specific portfolios (for example, energy) to make a detail from another agency attractive. • Remote coverage of your job: If there is no funding for a physical-presence TDYer, perhaps there is someone in D.C. or another post who would want to work remotely conducting some of your duties. There is precedent for this, even for office management specialists! Planning the Handoff A well-crafted handoff memo—covering ongoing projects and listing key points of contact and timelines for the issues likely to emerge during your absence—can ensure that no balls are dropped during your absence. It also reduces the chances of receiving a panicked phone call in the hospital or while you are bonding with your new baby. Plan final handoff meetings with your backup, your supervisor, and the rest of your team to discuss your handoff memo and coverage plan and to answer any questions before you depart. If you have a work evaluation (for yourself or those you supervise) coming due during your planned absence, try to complete it well before your planned departure. Submitting all vouchers early can also ease the administrative burden while you are on leave. Set Clear Expectations and Boundaries Think about how much contact you want to have with your office during your time away—including zero!—and be clear about your approach with your team. Designating one person (possibly a deputy or the person filling in for the bulk of the work during your absence) as a point of contact and setting up a call
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