The Role of Managers in a Successful Return to Work After Maternity Leave
For most women, returning to work after maternity leave isn’t just about coming back to a role.
It’s about coming back to a workplace that has moved on without them, while they are navigating a huge personal transition at home and managers play a far bigger role in this experience than they often realise.
In my work with maternity returners, I rarely hear people talk about policies. What they remember is how their manager showed up (or didn’t) in those early weeks back.
So, what does good look like?
Most managers want to do the right thing, but can get tripped up by their hesitation about things like:
How much contact is appropriate?
What flexibility can I really offer?
How do I support without overstepping?
These are all valid concerns and I do think good managers should be thinking about them. But if you are supporting someone returning from maternity leave, you don’t need to have all the answers. You just need to create the conditions for a good return.
The Return Starts Before Day One
A successful return doesn’t start on the first morning back. In many ways it starts with how the person feels as they begin their leave but some simple things managers can do before the return date include:
Make contact a few weeks before the return date to check in (without pressure).
Share what has changed while they’ve been away (think priorities, people, structure).
Ask open questions rather than making assumptions about availability, ambition or flexibility.
This helps remove anxiety and avoids the “walking into the unknown” feeling that many returners describe.
The First Few Weeks Back: Practical Support That Matters
After the initial high of getting through the first day and week, the next few weeks can be when returners feel most vulnerable. To help manage that some helpful actions include:
A proper welcome which is more than “good to have you back” followed by a full inbox.
Clear expectations about workload and priorities in the short term.
Normalising that it may take time to get back up to speed.
Protecting focus time and avoiding unnecessary overload.
Being explicit about how flexible working works in practice, not just in theory.
Ultimately, these aren’t big gestures. They’re small signals that say: we’re glad you’re back, we’re not expecting you to sprint from day one, and you’re not on your own in this transition.
Remember the Return Is a Transition
One of the most common mistakes I see is treating the return as a single event rather than a process. It’s beneficial to approach a return from maternity leave like a new joiner and expect them to get up to speed over a number of months.
Ongoing support can be as simple as:
Regular check-ins that aren’t just task-focused.
Revisiting workload and expectations as confidence rebuilds.
Continuing career and development conversations.
Making sure returners are visible and included in meaningful work.
Most returners aren’t expecting special treatment. They’re simply hoping for a bit of understanding and some space to get back into the rhythm over time.
Why This Matters for Organisations
When managers get maternity returns right, the impact goes far beyond the individual. People tend to settle back in faster, rebuild confidence more quickly and get back to contributing at their best. Organisations hold onto experienced talent instead of losing women at a key career point, and that has a direct effect on retention, engagement and culture.
Over time, these small manager actions are what help build workplaces where working parents can thrive and where companies don’t lose future leaders simply because the return wasn’t handled well.
A good return isn’t about picking up where someone left off. It’s about helping them find their footing again. This isn’t just a “nice to have”. It’s a business issue.