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New UK Maternity Research: Why Line Managers Are Critical to Supporting Women at Work
New UK government research into pregnancy and maternity experiences has highlighted something organisations need to pay attention to: the difference between having good workplace policies and how those policies are experienced by employees. And one finding stands out. In interviews with parents who had experienced perceived unfair treatment, line manager capability emerged as the single biggest influence on their workplace experience. Not simply the maternity policy. Not the benefits package. But the knowledge, communication and decisions of the person managing them day to day. For organisations investing in maternity benefits,... Read more...
The Real Cost of Losing Women After Maternity Leave: What UK Employers Need to Know
When a woman leaves an organisation after maternity leave, the conversation often moves quickly to her replacement. Who will take over her responsibilities? How quickly can we recruit? What will it cost to fill the role? But there's a question that doesn't get asked nearly enough. What could we have done to keep her? Because when an experienced employee leaves, an organisation doesn't just lose a person. It loses knowledge, relationships, experience and capability that can take years to rebuild. And increasingly, the evidence suggests that what happens around maternity... Read more...
What Is Matrescence? Why Motherhood Can Change How You Feel About Work
You go back to work after maternity leave. Your job is the same. Your colleagues are the same. You still know how to do the things you've always done. But something feels different. Maybe you're questioning decisions you used to make without thinking twice. Maybe things that once felt important don't seem quite as important anymore. Or perhaps you're sitting in a meeting, wondering why you suddenly feel less confident speaking up when this is something you've done hundreds of times before. And somewhere underneath it all is this question:... Read more...
Return to Work Coaching After Maternity Leave: Is It Right for You?
You've sorted the childcare. You've worked out your return date. You've probably spent more time than you'd like thinking about how the mornings are going to work. On paper, you're getting ready to return to work. But there's something else going on. Maybe you're worried you've forgotten how to do your job. Maybe you're wondering how you're supposed to manage everything. Or perhaps you're looking forward to going back, but there's this nagging feeling that something has changed and you can't quite put your finger on what it is. And... Read more...
The Talent Problem in Finance Isn't Just Hiring. It's What Happens After Parental Leave.
Finance, accounting and insurance are built on precision. Accuracy. Judgement. Performance under pressure. These are industries where experienced professionals are expected to make complex decisions, manage risk and deliver consistently high standards. And organisations invest heavily in developing people who can do that. But there's one moment in the employee lifecycle that doesn't always receive the same attention. The transition back to work after parental leave. For an industry that understands the importance of identifying and managing risk, it's a transition worth examining much more closely. The return to work:... Read more...
Healthcare Doesn't Just Have a Retention Problem. It Has a Return-to-Work Problem.
Healthcare is under pressure. Staff shortages. Rising demand. Increasing complexity of care. Across the NHS and wider UK healthcare sector, organisations are working to recruit, develop and retain the professionals they need. And understandably, much of the conversation focuses on two things. How do we attract more people into healthcare? And how do we stop experienced people from leaving? But there's another question worth asking. What happens when experienced healthcare professionals return from parental leave? Because for an already stretched workforce, supporting people to return successfully isn't just a wellbeing... Read more...
Manufacturing Is Changing. Are We Supporting the People Returning to It?
Manufacturing is changing. Automation. New technologies. Rising costs. Increasing pressure to improve productivity. Across the sector, organisations are reviewing processes, introducing new systems and finding ways to operate more efficiently. And when a process changes, there's usually a plan. People need training. New systems need testing. Teams need time to understand different ways of working. But there's another kind of change that doesn't always receive the same attention. What happens when an experienced employee returns from maternity leave to a workplace that has changed while they've been away? It's a... Read more...
Why Employee Wellbeing Support Isn't Always Enough After Maternity Leave
We tend to assume that companies working in the wellbeing space will be particularly good at supporting their own employees. After all, if your business is built around mental health, balance and helping people navigate life's challenges, surely that understanding extends to the people working for you. And perhaps it does. But there's an important distinction that's easy to overlook. Supporting someone's wellbeing isn't necessarily the same as supporting them through a major life transition. And returning to work after maternity leave is exactly that. For wellbeing-led organisations, this presents... Read more...
70% of Teachers Have Considered Leaving: Why Teaching and Parenthood Can Be So Difficult to Balance
Teaching is often seen as a family-friendly career. The school holidays line up with your children's holidays. There's a familiar routine. And you're working in an environment that understands children and their needs. On paper, it sounds like a career that should fit relatively well around family life. But the reality can be very different. In 2026, research published by teachers' union NASUWT found that 70% of teachers surveyed had seriously considered leaving the profession because of the impact their work commitments were having on their children. And 95% of... Read more...
Returnships Are Helping Women Back Into Work. But What About Helping Them Stay?
Returnships Are Helping Women Back Into Work. But What About Helping Them Stay? Across the UK, organisations are investing in programmes to help people return to the workforce after career breaks. Returnships. Retraining opportunities. Career re-entry programmes. Initiatives designed to help experienced professionals rebuild confidence, refresh their skills and reconnect with employment. Particularly in sectors such as technology, where employers are looking for ways to attract experienced talent. And this is positive. Career breaks shouldn't mean the end of someone's professional opportunities. But alongside the conversation about helping women back... Read more...
Better Maternity Policies Aren't Enough: Why the Return to Work Matters
Better Maternity Policies Aren't Enough: Why the Return to Work Matters There's been real progress in how organisations support women at work. Maternity policies have improved in many workplaces. Flexible working has become a more prominent part of the conversation. And changes to UK employment law are strengthening certain rights for working parents. In March 2026, The Guardian reported on the Employment Rights Act and the government's description of the reforms as a significant step forward for women in the workplace. That progress matters. But it raises another question. What... Read more...
Losing Senior Women After Maternity Leave: The Hidden Cost to Leadership and Retention
When a senior woman leaves an organisation, the immediate conversation often turns to replacement. Who will take over her responsibilities? Do we need to recruit externally? How quickly can we fill the gap? These are understandable questions. But they don't capture the full impact of losing someone who has spent years developing their expertise, relationships and influence within a business. Because when an experienced woman leaves, the organisation may lose far more than the person filling a particular role. It can lose valuable knowledge, leadership continuity and future potential. And... Read more...
The Transition Doesn't End When You Return to Work After Maternity Leave
You return to work after maternity leave. You've worked out the childcare. You've figured out the morning routine. You've got through those first few weeks of feeling a little out of place. And eventually, things start to feel more manageable. You begin to think you've found your rhythm. Then something changes. Your child starts nursery and seems to pick up every illness going. Your working arrangements stop fitting quite as well as they did. Or you suddenly find yourself trying to navigate school holidays, inset days and a whole new... Read more...
Your First Day Back After Maternity Leave: Why It Can Feel So Strange
Your First Day Back After Maternity Leave: Why It Can Feel So Strange You've already been up since 6am. Probably earlier. You've negotiated breakfast.Cleaned yoghurt off the floor.Packed bags. Forgotten something. Gone back. You've already done a full day — and it's not even 9am. And then you walk into work. Everything looks the same. Your desk. Your team. The conversations. But you don't feel the same. Returning to work after maternity leave can feel surprisingly unsettling, even when you've been looking forward to it. And it's not necessarily about... Read more...
Does Working From Home Make Having Children Easier? What the Research Tells Us
We often talk about working from home as a question of productivity. Are employees as effective outside the office? What happens to collaboration? Does remote working affect company culture? And how much time should people spend together in person? These are reasonable questions for employers to ask. But there's another aspect of the flexible working conversation that receives less attention. Could the way we design work influence whether people feel able to start or grow their families? New research suggests there may be a connection. And it raises some interesting... Read more...
Back at Work After Maternity Leave, But Not Feeling Like Yourself Yet?
You've returned to work after maternity leave. You're attending meetings. Responding to emails. Getting through your workload. From the outside, everything looks as though it's back to normal. But internally, things might feel quite different. Perhaps you're questioning yourself more than you used to. You feel slightly disconnected from the team. Or you're finding things that once felt straightforward surprisingly difficult. And because you've technically returned to work, there's a sense that you should have adjusted by now. But being back at work and feeling settled back at work aren't... Read more...
Why Parental Leave Policies Alone Won't Solve Employee Retention
Most organisations have a process for parental leave. There are policies. Entitlements. Forms to complete. Dates to confirm. Conversations about keeping in touch and returning to work. And these things matter. Employees need clear information about their rights, and organisations need consistent processes for managing leave. But there's something that can get lost in the focus on policy. Parental leave isn't just an administrative process. It's part of a significant life transition. And that transition doesn't necessarily end when someone returns to work. The difference between managing parental leave and... Read more...
Why Becoming a Mother Can Feel Like Losing Part of Yourself
There's something I've been noticing about major life transitions. How quickly we're expected to move on. Back to work. Back to productivity. Back to normal. Back to being the person we were before. But what happens when we're not quite that person anymore? This is something I think about a lot in relation to becoming a mother and returning to work after maternity leave. Because motherhood can bring enormous joy, love and meaning. But it can also involve loss. And we don't always make much room to talk about that.... Read more...

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