75. COMEBACK - Phil Bush - Sabbatical from Euromonitor – supporting partner’s return from maternity – sick baby – volunteering on leave

Hello Bright Minds, my guest today is Phil Bush, a Credit Control Manager for Euromonitor International in London where he’s worked for 17 years. He responsible for managing a department that collects unpaid debt for the business and minimises financial risk to the company. He lives in Brighton with his partner Jo and their 15 month old daughter Sadie. He’s a runner who has been very keen to do the London marathon and finally this year got to do it after applying and being unsuccessful for the previous 8 years. He’s also a community-minded man who volunteers for the charity Fairshare.

We talk about:

• Why he took a sabbatical not Shared Parental Leave.
• How he supported his partner's return to work (to a new job).
• The difference having a supportive partner makes to a woman's return from maternity leave.
• Coping with hospitalised baby.
• What a 'supportive' employer looked like for Phil.
• Volunteering whilst on sabbatical.
• Feeling strange separating from family to go back to work after intense months together.
• Finding a new normal as a family.
• Deciding to have counselling to deal with the shock of an ill child.

MORE FOR YOU

• DM Jessica on instagram @comebackcommuk
• Get Caremail (free, every other Sunday at 7am)
• Read Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work by Jessica Chivers.
• Watch five coachees talk about working with us
• Connect us to your HR team - bring the Comeback Community™ employee experience to your workplace