Tennis star Kim Clijsters has won the US Open (on the BBC website) just months after coming out of her two-and-a-half year retirement during which she had a child.
The player, who is still only 26 years old, left the tennis world behind to start a family but decided to come out of retirement earlier in 2009 after playing an exhibition match to mark the completion of the new Centre Court roof at Wimbledon. Her win is remarkable because:
- she played only two warm-up events in the lead up to her Grand Slam return;
- she is the first mother to win a Grand Slam title since Evonne Goolagong in 1980;
- she is the first woman ever to win a major as a wildcard entry; and
- she beat both Williams sisters on the way to the title, including a stormy semi-final victory over Serena (on the BBC website).
Clijsters has also spoken about how the maternity break helped her game (on the BBC website).
XpertHR has plenty of guidance on employees returning to work after maternity leave, including:
Frequently asked questions
Can an employer insist that an employee return to work from maternity leave on a particular day of the week?
Does an employee have the right to return to the same job after maternity leave?
If a pregnant employee is employed to do suitable alternative work throughout her pregnancy, is her right to return to work after maternity leave the right to return to this job or to her normal position?
Can an employer dismiss an employee on maternity leave who wants to return to work on a part-time basis?
Where an employee fails to return from maternity leave on the expected date can the employer terminate her employment?
Can an employee return to work immediately after having given birth?
Can an employer postpone the promotion of an employee on maternity leave until her due return date?
Where an employee has been absent on maternity leave must she return to work for a particular period of time before qualifying for another period of maternity leave?
Model policies and documents [subscription required to access the links below]
Letter making informal enquiries of an employee on maternity leave about whether or not she intends to return to work
Letter responding to an employee not returning to work after maternity leave
Letter for an employee to provide notification that she does not intend to return to work after maternity leave
Letter from an employee wishing to return to work early from maternity leave
Letter to an employee returning from maternity leave
Letter responding to an employee's request to return from maternity leave on a part-time basis
Letter to an employee who has failed to return to work after maternity leave
Policy on reintroduction into the workplace on return from maternity leave
Policy on varying employees' hours on return from maternity leave
"How to" guidance [subscription required to access the links below]
How to deal with a request to return from maternity leave on a part-time basis
How to ensure employees' smooth reintroduction to the workplace on their return from maternity leave
How to deal with the situation where an employee becomes pregnant again while on maternity leave
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