Taking Caregiving Leave as a Freelancer

The Writers’ Co-op

Today we're talking all about how to take an extended leave from your business when you’re preparing for a baby, surgery, illness, or any other kind of caretaking. We're purposefully keeping the lens of this episode wide because we want this to be helpful to anyone who needs to step away from their freelance business for an extended period of time, although we'll discuss parental leave most heavily.

Life is unpredictable and medical/ caregiving leave is one of those benefits freelancers usually miss out on. So we’ll also propose some strategies for planning for a leave financially, structurally and emotionally. If you’re planning on taking some kind of leave soon, you can download a worksheet to help you plan that leave here. You should also check out this list of PFML (Paid Family and Medical Leave) states.

With parenting and our health, there are seasons. Seasons of hustle, seasons of rest, seasons of inspiration, seasons of boredom. Seasons of creativity and seasons of feeling stuck in the mud. This is life, for better or for worse. And the best way to accommodate those seasons is to plan for them as best as you can, but also leave room to be flexible. Which is, of course, the magic and misery of freelancing.

How have you planned for a leave of absence in the past? We’d love to hear your thoughts on Twitter or via email: [e-mail].