WORKSHOP | Preparing to return to work after maternity leave or parental leave

Have you got people working for you who are expecting children, in the process of adopting a child, or are new parents? At some point, they will have to prepare to return to work after maternity leave, or parental/adoption leave

Did you know there is a 9 in 10 chance new mothers will struggle with the return to work? Are you aware there is a 1 in 5 chance they may find it necessary to leave the workforce after having a baby?

The cost of replacing an employee is estimated at 30k, including recruitment and training costs plus up to 24 weeks lost productivity whilst new recruits get up to speed.

Research suggests that organisations that have more women in senior positions perform significantly better than those that don’t. Therefore there are considerable advantages to preserving the female talent pipeline.

Shockingly 70% of new mothers now report experiencing mental health problems during or after pregnancy As many as 1 in 3 dads also suffer, but most parents are suffering in silence as only a fifth seek medical support. 1 in 10 parents say their perinatal mental health negatively impacted their work performance.

7.6% of sickness absence is attributed to stress, depression, and anxiety annually in the UK. This equates to 14.3 million lost working days per year. Analysis by Deloitte, found that poor mental health costs UK employers up to £45 billion each year. For every £1 spent by employers on mental health interventions they’ll get £5 back in reduced absence, presenteeism and staff turnover.

Parental leave can pose worries for employers and for the individual. At WorkBabyLife, we offer a series of workshops and one to one sessions to support organisations to better manage these transitions and retain talent.

Who is it for?

This workshop is suitable for any parent preparing to return to work after a period of maternity / parent / adoption leave or a career break.

Outline:

During the workshop we explore:

The challenges
Work life balance – increase in responsibility /priority setting
Conversations with managers / key stakeholders
KIT Days (what they are and how to use them for success)
Childcare
The next career chapter
Identity change
Managing guilt
Self-care and managing stress

Workshops are run in small groups to allow space for participants to ask questions, share feelings, worries, and experience, developing ideas for best practice, and top tips.

Outcomes:

Increased engagement when participants feel valued, cared about and supported by their organisation.
Decrease in anxiety and worries relating to the transition, offering potential for reduced absenteeism and increased productivity.
Participants leave with a personalised action plan of the steps they will take to balance parenting and professional roles successfully.
Opportunity to build a support network of other working parents.