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 supporting the return
When an employee takes maternity or parental leave, the organisation usually knows when they're leaving and when they're expected to return.
There is time to prepare.
Responsibilities can be covered.
Working arrangements can be discussed.
And the return can be planned.
But much of that planning focuses on the practicalities.
Has the employee confirmed their return date?
Are their working hours agreed?
Have they been updated on changes within the organisation?
Do they have everything they need to start working again?
These are important questions.
But they don't necessarily tell us how someone is experiencing the transition.
Or whether the conditions are in place for them to build a sustainable career after returning.
Being back at work and feeling supported to succeed at work aren't always the same thing.
What organisations can overlook about returning to work
For some employees, becoming a parent changes how they see themselves and their relationship with work.
They may be reconsidering their priorities.
Navigating new responsibilities outside work.
Or questioning what they want from their careers.
Others return feeling confident, motivated and ready to continue exactly where they left off.
There's no universal experience.
But even when someone's ambitions haven't changed, their circumstances may have.
Childcare arrangements.
Commuting requirements.
Working hours.
The practical demands of family life.
And sometimes the workplace itself has changed during their absence.
A new manager.
Different responsibilities.
Changes within the team.
Projects that have moved forward without them.
Returning can involve reconnecting with a professional environment that no longer feels quite as familiar.
And that deserves attention beyond the practical arrangements.
Why this matters for employee retention
When experienced employees leave, organisations can lose valuable knowledge, relationships and expertise.
Replacing them takes time and resources.
And where departures affect employees who were progressing towards senior positions, there can be implications for leadership development and succession planning.
Of course, not every departure following parental leave is avoidable.
People make different choices about their careers and families.
Some decide to change direction.
Some take longer career breaks.
And others pursue new opportunities.
But where employees leave because of inadequate support, unsustainable working arrangements or assumptions about their commitment, organisations should want to understand why.
The important question isn't simply whether someone returns.
It's what happens afterwards.
Do they feel able to stay, contribute and progress?
The role of managers in the return-to-work experience
An organisation can have an excellent parental leave policy and still deliver very different experiences across teams.
One manager might prepare carefully for an employee's return.
They discuss expectations.
Explain what's changed.
Ask about career ambitions.
And continue checking in over the following months.
Another manager might assume that because the employee is back, everything has returned to normal.
Or they may make assumptions about what the employee wants now that they're a parent.
Perhaps they stop offering opportunities involving additional responsibility.
Perhaps they interpret a request for flexibility as a lack of ambition.
Or perhaps they avoid conversations altogether because they're unsure what to say.
These differences matter.
UK government research published in October 2026 into pregnancy and maternity workplace experiences highlighted line manager capability, communication and consistent application of policy as important influences on employees' experiences.
It reinforces something I think organisations need to pay more attention to.
A good policy is only as effective as the way it's understood and applied.
Why support shouldn't stop after the first week
Many organisations recognise the importance of a return-to-work conversation.
But the transition can continue long after the employee's first day back.
In the beginning, the challenges might be practical.
Getting used to childcare.
Reconnecting with colleagues.
Understanding changes to the role.
A few months later, different questions may emerge.
Is the workload sustainable?
Does the employee feel included in important decisions?
Are career development opportunities still available?
Have their ambitions changed?
And does their manager understand what support would be helpful?
A single return-to-work meeting is unlikely to address every question that might arise.
That's why ongoing conversations matter.
Not because every returning parent needs intensive support.
But because people's circumstances and needs can change as they settle back into working life.
What better parental leave support could look like
Organisations don't necessarily need to create another complicated programme.
But they can take a more thoughtful approach to how they support employees through the transition.
1. Prepare managers, not just paperwork
Managers need to understand the policies and legal requirements.
But they also need the skills to have conversations about returning to work.
That includes discussing expectations, responsibilities, flexibility and career development without making assumptions.
2. Treat the return as a period of adjustment
Rather than focusing only on the return date, organisations can plan check-ins over the following months.
These conversations can help identify concerns early and give employees opportunities to raise issues.
3. Keep career development conversations open
Becoming a parent doesn't automatically mean someone wants fewer opportunities or less responsibility.
Some employees may want to change direction.
Others may want to continue progressing.
Managers should ask, rather than decide on their behalf.
4. Recognise the psychological transition
For some employees, returning to work involves questions about confidence, identity and professional belonging.
Coaching can provide space to explore those questions.
But it should complement practical support, not replace it.
5. Address organisational barriers
Sometimes the challenge isn't confidence or adjustment.
It's an unmanageable workload.
Inflexible working arrangements.
Exclusion from opportunities.
Or inconsistent management.
Those problems require organisational action.
A supportive conversation is valuable, but it cannot substitute for fair and sustainable working conditions.
From parental leave policy to retention strategy
Organisations invest significant time and resources in attracting, developing and retaining talent.
They create leadership programmes.
Succession plans.
Employee benefits.
And policies designed to support different stages of working life.
But maternity and parental leave can still be treated primarily as periods of absence to manage.
What if we approached them differently?
As known transitions that organisations can prepare for.
As opportunities to strengthen communication between managers and employees.
And as moments when the quality of support can influence someone's longer-term experience of work.
That doesn't mean every returning parent will need the same support.
Or that organisations can prevent every departure.
But it does mean recognising that the employee experience extends beyond the policy.
The paperwork may be complete. The transition may not be.
And if organisations want to retain experienced people, that's worth understanding.
How The Parent Shift supports organisations
At The Parent Shift, I work with organisations to improve how employees are supported through maternity leave and returning to work.
My focus is particularly on helping managers understand the psychological and practical aspects of the transition, have better conversations and avoid assumptions about ambition or commitment.
I offer manager training and individual coaching designed to complement existing maternity and parental leave policies.
Because supporting employees well isn't only about managing their absence.
It's about helping create the conditions in which they can continue building their careers.
Explore support for organisations or book an introductory conversation.
Further reading
UK Government — Pregnancy and maternity: workplace experiences of parents