From return to retention: Rethinking work after maternity leave (2 of 2)

What returning mothers are experiencing

To reflect a broader range of experiences, I asked other mums about returning to work. The same themes surfaced repeatedly:

• Rebuilding confidence and proving capability

• Redefining identity and integrating motherhood and career

• Balancing competing priorities and losing flexibility and control

• Managing exhaustion and burnout

• Navigating bias and assumptions

• Rediscovering purpose

• Working in environments not designed with parents in mind (i.e. without suitable spaces to breastfeed, express or take private calls)

These experiences are often subtle and invisible, yet together they shape how people experience work and whether they stay.

The practical takeaways: How can we better support mothers returning to work?

If organisations are serious about retention, support must extend beyond maternity leave to the reintegration that follows. As with many workplace initiatives, the benefits extend far beyond the group they are designed to support. Creating environments that work better for returning mothers often creates better experiences for employees with other caring responsibilities, health needs and life commitments too.

Create respectful spaces 

Get the basics right. A cupboard is not an acceptable place to express. Providing appropriate private facilities is a basic mark of respect for mothers.

Create open communication 

Supportive workplaces are built on honest conversations. Equip managers with the skills to encourage two-way feedback, discuss changing needs openly and create psychological safety for people navigating major life transitions.

Be mindful of meeting timings

Where possible, avoid scheduling meetings at the very start or end of the day. This can help ease the pressure of school and nursery drop-offs and pick-ups. Small signals of flexibility can go a long way in building trust and are often repaid through a greater willingness to accommodate occasional out-of-hours demands when needed. 

Design for predictable disruption

Illness, childcare challenges and changing routines are realities for many working parents. Strong teams anticipate disruption and build flexibility and resilience around it.

Focus on outcomes rather than visibility

Commitment shouldn’t be measured by hours at a desk or time in the office. High-performing organisations focus on impact, contribution and outcomes.

Make workplace experiences meaningful

The office offers unique opportunities for collaboration, learning, connection and shared purpose. For many returning parents, these experiences can feel especially valuable after time away from the workplace.

Create supportive team cultures

Support often comes from colleagues as much as managers. Cultures built on trust, shared ownership and mutual support help teams navigate periods of change and disruption together.

A broader lesson

Supporting mothers is often framed as a wellbeing or diversity initiative. It is also a talent-retention imperative.

Organisations invest heavily in attracting talent. Losing experienced people because workplaces fail to support major life transitions is costly and avoidable.

Parenthood can strengthen adaptability, prioritisation, empathy, resilience and problem-solving; the very capabilities organisations increasingly need.

Returning from maternity leave has reinforced something I believed long before becoming a parent: people don’t leave their personal lives at the door. The challenge isn't helping people separate work and life. It's creating workplaces where both can coexist successfully.