His out-of-office message states that he likely won’t respond to emails during his six-to-eight-week paternity leave.

Treat the days before you head out of the office like the end of a term: leave nothing half-written, half-baked or half-done, and if you must, delegate the rest of the project to a colleague.

One item that should be prioritized is your maternity leave out-of-office message. Most working parents give this message little thought until they’re rushing out the door, but experts say ...