A study by the National Childbirth Trust, which recently surveyed over 1,500 mothers who returned to work after having a baby, has revealed that 39% of mothers surveyed found returning to work difficult or very difficult. 31% said that their relationship with their boss had deteriorated since becoming pregnant and 32% found that their promotion prospects had been reduced since having a baby.
One of the reasons for this could be that only one in 10 women experienced a phased return or a reintroduction to work. A training or reintroduction programme could be invaluable to help returners catch up with changes that have occurred in the workplace or cope with the emotional difficulties that could be experienced on return.
On a positive note, one in three mothers said that their re-entry to work was easy. At XpertHR we are putting together a good practice guide on maternity, and it would be great to hear from those employers who would be willing to share their good workplace practices.
Employers, as well as mothers, can benefit from good practice in this situation. Employees who are not supported on their return to work could take sick leave as a result of stress from balancing work and family life, or could leave to find employment elsewhere, taking their experience and talent with them.
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