Mothers on returning from parental leave:
“For me, the biggest challenge was just the transition back into my job.”
“It was at least two or three weeks before I felt like I could get acclimated at work.”
“My first day back to work just felt surreal… I wanted to scream, ‘I made a human being! I am a different person now! This is all I can think about!’ I still feel like I’m not on my A-game yet.”
Returning to work after parental leave is tough.
If you’re going on family leave, minimize the difficulties of your eventual return by planning for it now.
As part of your parental leave planning, follow these guidelines so you can return from leave with confidence.
1. Make a reentry plan
When you’re creating a coverage plan with your team, make sure to also plan your return to work.
You can’t know exactly what life with your new baby will be like, but you can still create a flexible plan for reentry.
It’s very common to come back from leave with either no work or an overwhelming amount of work.
So as part of your reentry plan, give thought to how your colleagues should hand your projects back to you.
Think about the logistics of your return to work.
Explore options.
Do you want to work full time immediately?
Part time?
Get feedback from your colleagues — especially your manager.
One quick note: while you plan your exit and reentry strategies, make sure to also research childcare options.
Whether you want to use daycare, a nanny, or both, securing childcare well in advance will help ease your transition back to work.
2. Be honest with yourself
As the end of your leave approaches, it’s useful to check in with your manager and team before your official return.
That way, you can make final arrangements about your reentry.
You can’t know in advance how you’ll feel near the end of your leave.
So if you have second thoughts about your reentry plan, think creatively about how you could make the situation work.
There may be ways to adjust the plan — for instance, maybe you work part time longer than initially expected — but you need to consult with your colleagues.
3. Don’t apologize for being a parent
The culture has improved, but it remains an issue.
For instance, one 2007 Cornell University study on hiring practices revealed a “motherhood penalty”: mothers faced more hiring discrimination than fathers and candidates without children.
And in a 2015 Pew Research Center survey, 41 percent of working mothers reported that being a parent had made it harder for them to advance in their career.
Working parents, especially mothers, often feel guilt about needing flexibility in their jobs.
But there’s no need to, as long as they do good work.
So when you return from leave, be straightforward about your needs and constraints as a working parent.
Don’t apologize for how they might burden your colleagues, because more often than not, they simply won’t.
Little by little, you and your peers can build a more inclusive and accepting workplace.
Coming back from parental leave can be challenging.
So follow the process in this lesson to ensure your return to work goes as smoothly as possible.
