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At a recent workplace wellbeing event, I had some brilliant conversations with HR leaders about parental support. I was encouraged to see just how many people wanted to better support their working parents and returners. But....I wasn’t surprised to hear how many felt unsure about the how.

From all the companies i spoke to I saw that the intention was there but the action plan wasn’t. So I thought I’d help with a few learnings and insights from my work, but I’d be keen to hear if you agree/disagree:

A common misconception I see is that treating returners “just like everyone else” will help them feel included. It sounds supportive but in fact it misses the mark: We don’t want them to 'slot back in like nothings' changed ' - because it has. 

Parenthood shifts your priorities, perspectives, and your sense of self - but it also sharpens key skills: resilience, emotional intelligence, time management, strategic thinking (I could go on… and I often do!).

In fact, it makes you even more skilled at your job.
(There’s science to back that up - DM me if you want the research.)

But those gains are only retained if returners are properly supported. 

How do you get it right?

A structured, strategic, re-induction plan is the key to ensuring both the business and the employee benefit. That means going beyond a “welcome back” email and actually considering:

✨ A Warm Welcome -  A proper check-in to acknowledge their return and show appreciation.

✨ IT & Systems - Ensure logins, passes, and any new systems or updates are sorted in advance.

✨ Handback Review  - What’s changed? Are there new projects or responsibilities? Discuss and agree on immediate and longer-term priorities.

✨ Business & Team Updates - What’s new? Any strategic shifts, new reporting lines, or structural changes?

✨ Role & Career Conversations  - Parenthood doesn’t mean ambition disappears. Where do they see their career going next?

✨ Flexible Working Discussions  - Does their previous setup still work? Keeping an open dialogue avoids unnecessary stress and improves retention.

✨ Support Networks -  Whether it’s a buddy, mentor, or parent network. Connection matters!

With all of my personal and professional experience, I’d say the biggest mistake organisations make is thinking support is ONLY needed in those first few weeks.

Don’t get me wrong....a successful initial return is foundational, but managing work and family is an evolving journey. 

The best businesses don’t just support parents at the point of return: they ensure they can thrive long-term.

Does your organisation have a good re-induction plan in place?? 

What do you think? Are parental returners important or a headache?!

Interested to hear your thoughts.

​@Moe 

​@HannahPorteous-Butler this is a wonderful post!

As I said when we met at out &Connect meetup in Cambridge, there’s so much I don’t know about how parents experience their journey returning to work. Your expertise is unique and your writing style is so clear, concise, and approachable that you’ll fit right in around here! 😄

I have ​@JHBEM to thank for introducing me to you (and other wonderful folks) and I cannot wait to read more about your mission to make sure that the choice to be a parent doesn’t result in exclusion. 🤩

Speaking of other wonderful people, just going to tag some of them here to get of their thoughts as well!

​@Naturally Mindful ​@damayantichowdhury09 ​@FWolfenden 

What Hannah writes seems me both reasonable, emotionally intelligent and kind. Surely by following these simple steps any employer would benefit from a well supported and valued new parent, resulting in creative outputs and optimal integration. I wish you well, Hannah, in the great work you do. 

Absolutely, there are so many elements and considerations to this, and there can be a lot of apprehension around mat/pat/adoption leave, both before and after. Like Hannah mentions there, unless there’s a structured and supportive approach, it can damage relationships and the employee experience, and even risk discrimination cases. 

Another aspect to this is that line manager often have the biggest role in the employee’s return to work, but can often be the least experienced in knowing what to do!

As a good foundation, I always love creating a guide or Manager Pack to educate, support, tick off compliance, include checklists, etc., that can ensure a smooth, pleasant and helpfully standardised return. 😊

Yes ​@nina.johansson - I couldn’t agree more. Line managers are absolutely key to a successful return! ASo much of the work I do focuses on this, because it’s where the biggest impact is made. Am so pleased to hear you’ve created a resource for this- brilliant work! I also have manager and returner guides as part of the Parental Leave Toolkit I deliver (so everyone’s on the same page from day one).Maybe we should compare notes?!!!!

I agree with you ​@HannahPorteous-Butler! What a wonderful post and thanks for raising this. :-)

At our company, we actually have nothing in place at all for returning parents. On the other hand, we only have like a dozen women of which we’ve only had one maternity case so far. But from past experiences in other companies I know how important this is and I always tried to approach them with more information, updates and simple get-together chats to catch up and see what’s changed - for us and them.

I think most companies don’t have this on their radar at all and it’s good to bring awareness to this! ☺️

Love this ​@SabbuSchreiber - it’s really great that you are checking in and asking these things. I get it is hard when it feels like there aren’t a lot of parents in a team or people going off on maternity but asking th right questions can make such a difference. I have found that when I deliver workshops on the Parent Transition the people that get the most from it are the managers and the people to whom it seems ‘unrelated’. it really opens their eyes to what the challenges are, what people might be feeling, what might need to change etc (and great for removing bias). Maybe think about (with consent) sharing some of what you discuss with the wider team? That may help them and the returner more than you realise. But I agree - awareness is foundational and actually makes a big difference!  

Hi,

We are only a small company but it is crucial to have everything crystal clear around this topic in your HR policies and/or personnel manual.

That way relevant employees can view/ask on beforehand how these processes are handled and it prevents unclarities/irritations upon their return.

 

So yes, all companies should have this process defined in their HR policies and live up to them and if required adjust when practical experience asks for that.

 

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