More than a third (35%) of working mothers felt their work setup was unsustainable, according to the report. Of those, 47% planned to leave their jobs in the next year.
“A third of returning mothers are at breaking point,” Edwina Dunn, founder of the Female Lead, told HR magazine.
“Workplaces are missing the chance to offer the support women need at this crucial transition point; we can see clear ‘satisfaction gaps’ between what returning mothers want and what they are offered.”
Nearly three quarters (72%) of mothers reported that they struggled to balance childcare at work. A third (32%) said that they were underestimated, and a quarter (25%) reported having been overlooked for development or promotion.
HR should prepare for mothers’ return to work before their maternity leave starts, to ensure that staff members are satisfied when they return, Dunn added.
She continued: “HR teams can listen to women; meet with them or survey them, both before they leave for maternity leave, so that there is time to arrange necessary support, and after they return, to evaluate support and employee satisfaction.
“Employers and HR can be concerned about what they shouldn’t say [to working mothers]. We would recommend looking at the data: research like [the From labour ward to labour force report] can be the backbone for what you discuss and offer your returning mothers, based soundly on evidence rather than stereotypes or assumptions.”
Read more: Employee benefits lack adequate support for working parents, survey finds
When asked what employers could do to improve their satisfaction at work, more than half (54%) of women who were polled said that employers could ask what support they needed. Working mothers also requested flexible work around unexpected childcare responsibilities (77%) and flexible hours (75%).
Training managers on how to conduct these conversations is crucial, according to Emma Spitz, parental transition coach at the Executive Coaching Consultancy, a company that annually ranks The Times' Top 100 Graduate Employers based on its transparency and parental offerings.
Speaking to HR magazine, she said: “Foster open conversations with expectant and new mothers and their managers, to enable them to be honest about what they want to do on their return, and what they believe the challenges could be. Then review what is and isn’t working as they transition back into the organisation.
“Help managers to be proactive and understand the role they play in supporting their returner. Leading these conversations with curiosity and empathy is key to ensuring that working mothers feel unafraid to be vulnerable and clear about what will make a difference to them.” Spitz added that HR leaders can also empower managers with the knowledge and authority to make adjustments to working arrangements.
Read more: Working mothers are being pushed to breaking point: employers need to step up
Additionally, once working parents return to work, HR could provide them with a mentor, Spitz suggested.
She added: “It can be helpful to match the returner with a buddy or mentor who can listen to their concerns and advise them on how best to handle the challenges they might be facing.
“There is value in providing group coaching to returning mothers, providing a confidential space where they can share their experiences with their peers, and learn from each other and from the insights of an expert parental coach.
“Themes drawn from group sessions can be fed back anonymously to help HR, to understand more fully the support needed by these returners.”
HR practitioners should ensure that they extend support to working parents who have transitioned to a part-time role, Natasha Kitson, founder of parental consultancy firm Maternity Mentor, told HR magazine.
She said: “One key issue is feeling excluded when transitioning to part-time roles; parents often miss crucial meetings, resulting in isolation and disengagement. HR can address this by ensuring that part-time staff are included in key activities, to maintain connection and morale.”
Representatives of The Female Lead and parental support platform Peanut surveyed 1,857 working mothers in the UK in June 2024 for the From labour ward to labour force: it's not working report.
