Felisha Wirtshafter’s Post

☀ Behind the scenes of a laid-off parent! My day no longer begins with the usual rush to the office and daily stand-up, but with the responsibility of brewing coffee and serving breakfast to our 2 and 4-year-old that will most likely end up on the floor and slobbered up by our dog. This is the new norm for myself and many other laid-off moms and dads, having faced unexpected layoffs, embracing the full-time responsibility of parenthood with open arms and an open heart, along with the requirement to keep searching. 😘 We kiss mom goodbye for the day, and we're off exploring the vast wonders at the beach, getting lost in books at the library, meeting friends at the playground, or growing imaginations at the local children's museum. Every moment together is more precious bonding time and enriching our kids' lives. 🤳 Yet, even amidst these moments, the commitment to professional growth never wanes. With available brief pauses, sitting on beach towels, nestled in the corner of the library, or strolling through the grocery store, I'm reaching back into the digital world, connecting with people, responding to messages, and applying for new roles. I am dedicated to my family's future. We greet mom after work and reunite for our regularly scheduled dinner, Legos, books, bath, and bedtime routine. DLBBB - not the regular corporate acronym I'm working with. ☕ As the house becomes quiet and night settles in, my hours begin in relentless pursuit of new opportunities and keeping my skills sharp and building something new — theDogMode.com — a testament to my resilience and love for engineering. I'm sharing this because it's more than a behind-the-scenes look at my life and the lives of laid-off parents. It's a story of unwavering dedication to a brighter future for our families. 🙏 If this resonates with you, like, share, and perhaps offer a connection or job opportunity that could make all the difference to a family navigating through times of change. Together, we can transform our story into a narrative of hope, support, and community.

Who covered for you when you went on parental leave? And - how do you feel about them? I feel eternally grateful … and guilty. GRATEFUL because while I was on leave Shonda Williams and Sabrina Kumar:  💲 Signed new, huge clients 📈 Kept the business going - and thriving!  🧑🤝🧑 Escalated when needed, but mostly banded together as a tight team GUILTY because they also:  🕙 Worked past 10pm most nights 😠 Felt totally disconnected to the broader organization  🌱 Didn’t have any professional development or culture-building experiences Shonda and Sabrina’s experience isn’t fair. But it’s very common. Coverage teams shouldn’t have to burn the midnight oil, toil alone, or miss out on professional development opportunities just to support a colleague who is on leave. Projects also shouldn’t have to fall to the wayside - unless you intentionally pause them. And this is exactly why companies need formal programming in place to support expecting employees and their teams throughout the entire parental leave experience. 

The best performing piece of content I’ve EVER posted on LI was about parental leave. I wrote a spicy post after reading an article about how Hulu had scaled back their parental leave policies. I shared my personal story and struggles navigating work and motherhood. I shared the career disruption and the guilt I had when I put my daughter into daycare at 8 weeks old. 💥 It BLEW up 💥 So many parents flooded the comments and my dms to tell me their own stories. Some of my peers at work slacked me about how much it meant to them to see someone else voice their struggles. It’s also how I discovered there were companies out there trying to make the world better for working parents. …AND how I met Jenna Vassallo and found out about Parentaly. This is why getting loud and joining the conversation here is so impactful. It's why having a "personal brand" is important (especially if you care about something outside of your day job). Sharing personal things on LI is scary. It’s hard to get vulnerable. But I’ve yet to regret it ✌️

The return to work after parental leave is hard! 🤯 Everything is different 🫣 You have new priorities and so much to think about 🗓️ But it comes with a new motivation 💪 Working parents are truly an asset and they bring so many incredible skills to a workplace 🙌 ✅ Time management ✅ Organisation ✅ Problem solving Let's stop stereotyping working parents ❌ And let's start empowering them 🥳 What changed for you after parental leave? 👇🏼 We'd love to hear your thoughts! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Want to join the Slack community? Comment below or drop us a DM and we'll share the link 🙌

Second longer parental leave is quickly approaching! Starting from midsummer I will be a year off from any competition law related matters. Instead, I will focus on life spent with my year-old son. Busy times ahead but not because of legal analysis or investigative measures. Back to work in August 2025!   And same story with AI-modifications :D "Exciting news! My second extended parental leave is on the horizon, beginning from the enchanting time of midsummer. For the upcoming year, I'll be stepping back from the world of competition law and immersing myself entirely in the wonderful journey of parenting. My focus will shift from legal analysis and investigative measures to spending quality time with my one-year-old son. Although the times ahead will be busy, they will be filled with joy, love, and unforgettable moments. Looking forward to rejoining my professional journey in August 2025! #Parenting #WorkLifeBalance #FamilyFirst"   What I want to say with the AI-version is that I really think that "WorkLifeBalance" is one crucial part of working life today. It is really important to find this balance when dealing with challenging legal and investigative work! Finding good balance will lead to best results in both work and familylife.

corduroy When I think of the word, I picture the soft little bear in its tiny green overalls. Am I the soft little bear? No way. But I think my kids are. And chances are, you think your kids are too. Is #parenting while working in a #lawfirm a straight line? Definitely not. Sometimes, the path is smooth, and other times, it’s curved and bumpy, like the fabric. That’s why we named our free parental leave business development package “corduroy”for everything that adds up to being a working parent. Yes, today is small business Saturday. Yes, I am a small business. Yes, I would love sales. But, we keep returning to stage’s ethos of helping, ensuring all voices are heard, and offering support. If you are a #lawyer who is going out on or coming back from parental leave and would like free 1:1 business development help, reach out. It doesn’t matter if your parental leave is for your first child or fourth. The package still applies to you. It’s four free 1:1 sessions for a month. You talk about your #businessdevelopment goals, challenges, and roadblocks. And we do all of the doing. Need help on what to say at your upcoming holiday party or how to reach out to schedule coffees? We will write you customized scripts so that you feel comfortable. Need support tailoring your value proposition for an upcoming pitch, and you are not getting the dedicated assistance you need? We will help you craft your message. Need guidance on navigating others taking originating credit or excluding you from opportunities because of your leave? We have some advice. On the path to partnership? We will talk about how to raise your external profile, ways to network that fit your life, and how to build your client base. Have all of our corduroy parents become clients? Yes, but that’s not the point. It’s about giving parents an extra hand, an empathetic ear (my kids are 7 and 5), having a dedicated person in your corner just for you, and finding a way that works without doing more because we will be doing it for you. DM me, email, text to get started. Anytime. Let’s #stage

This week, I returned to Coinbase, marking the end of my maternity leave and beginning a new chapter at home and work. Welcoming my second child into the world was NO JOKE and was a journey marked with its challenges, including time in the NICU and repeated hospital visits. But such experiences have taught me a new level of resilience and strength, akin to running on what I call 'parental jet fuel.' Now, back at my desk with everyone healthy, I’m left to reflect on how parental leave has reshaped my personal and professional perspective. It's common to underestimate the importance of stepping away from work to welcome a new life. The fear of falling behind or losing touch with your career is REAL and daunting. Yet, parental leave is far more than a mere pause from professional duties; it’s an invaluable time for personal growth, nurturing family bonds, and mental rejuvenation. Kate Rouch and Di Sanborn perfectly encapsulated these sentiments in their messages before my departure. Such supportive and understanding words from leadership are not only comforting but also empowering. They emphasize the essential nature of parental leave as a period to recharge and reconnect with what's truly important. It also reflects Coinbase's commitment to standing by its employees during pivotal life moments. As I navigate the transition back to work, I’m embracing a blend of excitement and apprehension. Drawing from my previous return to work experience, I’m reminded that this is also an opportunity to inject a renewed perspective and vitality into my career. To my fellow parents gearing up to return to work after parental leave: Embrace the blend of emotions. Your time away has provided you with unique skills and perspectives that can enhance your career and its trajectory. To organizations: Let’s continue to champion and uphold parental leave. It’s not just a 'break' from work; it's a fundamental investment in the well-being of our employees and the very future of our workforce. Here’s a photo of my toddler and me in our new normal of being back at work - let’s hope he quickly forgets "mummy's office is fun." 🙃 -------- #maternityleave #workingparents #parentalleave #careergrowth

#knowyourworth >> $14.2M Thanks for all the thoughtful and supporting answers I received from friends and colleagues. The most compelling method that was shared with me is: 1. Compute the annual total comp according to market value, based on the average of documented income in the last two years prior to the injury. (This is a low estimate because my friend is a top AI expert so he could have commanded a higher compensation given the current hype in the AI market but he decided to work for a company that pays less than fair market compensation, leveraging a mission that sounds great but only on paper and in brochures.) 2. Add modest inflation rate and per year salary increase. (Say 2.37% since the company in question uses the US jurisdiction for its contracts.) 3. Add up the expected total comp for the number of remaining years you'd have been able to work had you not been injured. (Daniel Weld is a good point of reference here as an "AI expert" who's still going strong at 63 years of age, according to Wikipedia). 4. Add emotional damage and stress. (Say $500K to be conservative.) I asked my friend to run the numbers and the spreadsheet shows that a conservative total compensation for this injury is $14.2M. Will the company be able to pay for its mistakes or is it going to declare bankruptcy? Unclear. The next scene is a meeting between my friend and the company's CEO.