Firstly, huge congratulations on having your baby. Whether it’s your first or third child, having a baby, and thinking about what you might like to do when your maternity leave comes to an end, takes a lot of consideration, planning and organisation.

Statistics tell us that up to 90,000 people take some form of career break in the UK annually, whether travelling, being a carer, taking a sabbatical to spend time at home or having a family. Attitudes towards this have become much more supportive in the 21st century – and although the people who tend to take time out during MATL are still women, inclusivity is at the core of every good employer and HR representative.

Statutory maternity, paternity and adoption rights apply in the UK before and after the birth or adoption of a baby. Mothers, fathers, partners and adoptive parents are entitled to maternity, paternity or adoption leave and pay and shared paternal leave (source CIPD).

How to cope with anxiety about returning to work after maternity leave

On a personal level, we think it’s crucial for anyone who has just had a baby to take the time to put themselves first and think about a few things before they tackle the more practical stuff.

Some things to think about:

  • Are you short on time and resources now that you have a new baby you’re responsible for? Try and take some time to let the dust settle.
  • Ease yourself in. Ensure you’re taking good care of yourself and that your and your partner’s needs are being met.
  • Once you get into a good routine, you may want to think about childcare before returning to the office.
  • If you’re finding things challenging, what resources and support are available to you?
  • Keep in touch with those who support you in your organisation.
  • Find out about local parents’ groups and any support they offer.
  • There are bound to be some setbacks – but look at how you can face possible challenges before you tackle how you will return to work.

Tips for preparing to go back to work

Going back to work can be daunting after such a big event, so think about what it is you want for yourself, your child, your family and your circumstances – both for now and for the foreseeable future.

  • What do YOU want? Do you want to go back full or part-time?
  • Speak to your organisation about flexible working.
  • Think about your job – and your career. What has having a baby meant to you and your values? What are your priorities? Do you want to go back to your job – or do you want to seek a job or develop a career elsewhere eventually?
  • Finances – what can you afford to do and not do?
  • Take complete control of your professional development. Speak to someone who can help you professionally and has the right experience and knowledge of HR needs and professional development.
  • Get up to date with any changes in the organisation you’re returning to and anything you may need to know about and learn.
  • Does your workplace run ‘keep in touch’ days with work, so you can have contact with your manager and colleagues and keep up with things if that helps?
  • Find out about any resources and support you can tap into while away.

HR – your legal rights, inclusivity, and diversity needs

Eligible employees can take up to 52 weeks of maternity leave. The first 26 weeks are known as ‘ordinary maternity leave’ and the last 26 weeks as ‘additional maternity leave’. You can return to the same job after MATL if you’ve been away for 26 weeks or less. Pay and conditions need to be the same – or better – than if you hadn’t gone on maternity leave. If this is not the case, it is potentially unfair dismissal and discrimination if your employer says you can’t return to your previous job.

As the baby’s father or partner of the mother, you’re entitled to one or two weeks of paternity leave – but check with your employer as their terms may be more generous. With either of these options, the break usually needs to be taken in one go – and a week is defined as a ‘working week’. So, if you work three days a week, you will get those three days as your week of paternity leave.

For same-sex couples, it’s important to highlight that it’s illegal for employers to discriminate based on sexual orientation. Although there aren’t specific rights for same-sex couples, you are entitled to the same leave and pay as anyone else who is having or adopting a baby.

Advice for employers

As an employer, you are obligated to meet all maternity leave and pay for employees without discrimination. But, of course, as an organisation with the interests of their people at the heart of their business, you’ll already have processes in place that protect your employees and your organisation.

Any unfavourable treatment of a woman because of her pregnancy, childbirth or maternity will constitute pregnancy and maternity-related discrimination. Still, by talking to your HR dept, following all the advice in this blog and talking to us at Personnel Placements, we help employers wade through their legal requirements.

Click here for further information from the Equality Human Rights Commission, which is also beneficial for employers managing maternity leave and pay.

Get in touch

Come and visit us or contact us to learn more about how we can help you negotiate your way through any concerns you may have about maternity leave and pay – as an employee and an organisation who wants to do the right thing by their workforce.