The Benefits of Keeping in Touch Days (KIT)

Keeping in Touch (KIT) days provide employees on family leave (such as maternity or adoption leave) the opportunity to stay connected with their workplace. This is done through attending meetings, training sessions, working days or even just social calls with colleagues.

This helps them to ease back into their role upon returning to work, ultimately leading to a smoother transition and improved job satisfaction. These days must be agreed on by both the employee and the employer, and there are generally a set number of KIT days allowed, which may change depending on jurisdiction.

Benefits of KIT days include:

• Staying informed: Employees can attend important meetings or briefings to stay aware of any changes or updates happening at work while they are on leave, ensuring they still feel like they are a part of the team.
• Managing skill levels: KIT days can be used to participate in training courses or workshops to keep their skills current and prevent potential knowledge gaps from any periods of leave.
• Team connection: Maintaining contact with colleagues through casual check-ins or team events can help employees feel less isolated while on leave. This is especially important if the company sees a change whilst the employee is on leave, as it can be intimidating to come back to a different set-up or team.
• Gradual reintegration: By using KIT days to gradually re-engage with work responsibilities, employees can ease back into their role after leave without feeling overwhelmed by having to do everything all at once. This can also help to reduce any anxieties.
• Planning for return: KIT days can be used to discuss their return-to-work plan with their manager, allowing for a more structured re-entry. This follows from the above in ensuring that the employee feels comfortable with what is happening.