Share your top tips for parental leave and getting back into the workplace with Pearson

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Parental leave is a time that can be filled with so many different emotions from excited, happy, anxious to a little overwhelmed. There is also a lot of information out there about how to return to the workplace and for many the difficulty is finding a job that allows them to either be part time or allows flexible working. But most importantly it is a life changing period of time for both fathers and mothers alike. With that in mind Pearson would like to know all your best parental leave tips and how you got back into the workplace.

Here is what Pearson has to say: “Examiner and Standards Verifier, Heidi McEntee who is mum to three (6,3,1), explains the benefits of her role within Pearson and how it fits around her role as a mum. “You can pick how much or how little work you take on. I can reduce my workload to suit what kind of life I want to have with my children, even now as a Senior Standards Verifier.” When asked if she’d recommend the role to other mums she said, “Yes, I would definitely recommend to other mums. Due to the flexibility of the role it means I can attend all of the events at my son's school, which is something I couldn't do before. I can drop my kids off and pick them up from school which I am incredibly thankful for.”

Pearson has maintained a friendly attitude to parental leave throughout, Kevin Lyons, Senior HR at Pearson says, “We actively promote flexible and agile working and also have many remote workers, and have seen excellent take up of shared parental leave. We see work as an activity and not a place, and are committed to a culture of effective working in a flexible and agile way”

What helped you return to the workplace after being on parental leave? Do you have any tips for getting back into the swing of your new life? How did you make sure you were still able to have time with family as well as working again? Do you have any tips or great pieces of advice for how to get prepared on parental leave?

Whatever your tips are for maternity leave and returning back to the workplace, let us know on the thread below and everyone who does will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw
MNHQ

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Pack DC's bag (nursery change of clothes, comforter etc) AND yours (eg. snacks, make up, kindle) the night before

Great initiative.
As well as a range of initiatives to support parents with young children back into work, through its extensive range of roles working as an Assessment Associate (Examiners, Standards Verifiers etc) Pearson also offers lots of opportunities to work and earn flexibly, enhance CPD, alongside developing insight into assessment methodologies.

I wish I'd been able to go back time instead of full time. it was a shock to the system and awful for Dc for the first few months.
Get as much help as you can and don't be a perfectionist. My house was a tip from Tuesday until Friday!

Consider shared parental leave. Going back to work when your partner is looking after the baby is much easier. Also discuss how you are going to manage when you go back to work. Who will drop off the baby and pick up? What will you do when your baby is sick? How will you work it out between yourselves. Plus get a family calendar to slot in nights out when you are back. Be kind to each other.

Think very carefully about going back; delay if at all possible and make sure you have back up for child care emergencies (which will happen!). Ideally a family member but try not to take advantage of them. Make sure you can be there at key times in your child's life - otherwise it is just NOT worth it. Sorry!

It gets lonely, go to baby clubs, go on walks. Don't be afraid to take baby out. Get them used to a restaurant for example.

I was lucky enough to go back to work part time and work for an employer who incorporates flexible working. So I can balance working days with full time mum days.
In terms of going back to work, if you can sort childcare early that helps. I started dd2 at nursery 6 weeks before I went back to work, building it up each week, so we were both happy with the new arrangements by the time I went back.
Also don't put too much pressure on yourself to 'catch up' with what your colleagues have been doing whilst you're on parental leave - it will come with time.

Be aware that things may have changed whilst you were gone and it may take time to get back into the swing of things again. Don't be too hard on yourself. Try and plan for your child bring sick and how you will share that responsibility. Try and plan and prepare so you gave bags packed in the evenings and get a cleaner if you can afford one.

Do what you want to do as a family and don't feel pressured by society to share leave or not if it doesn't suit your circumstances.

Use KIT days if available
Plan in advance who is doing what each day (ie. Nursery drop off / pick up)
Plan meals & outfits!
Accept it may take time to get into a new routine & don't sweat the small stuff!

When I had DD1, I decided to take voluntary redundancy so I could spend the precious starting years at home. DD2 came along 2 years later, and I continued to be a stay-at-home mum until she was over 2. I started planning my route back into work, and volunteered as treasurer for my girls' playgroup. That gave me a year's experience that I could put on my CV. I returned to work when DD2 turned 3, taking on part-time work (20 hrs) as I felt that would be sufficient to earn enough to live on, to supplement our household income. I stayed there for 1.5 yrs, and then felt confident to find a better, more challenging role. My advice is to take small steps back into work and consider voluntary work as a great stepping stone without the work committment. I was very lucky that I managed to stay at home and be with my girls during their crucial first few years of life. It was tough, and money was tight, but it was worth it!

Plan well but have options B and C in your back pocket. In other words, assume the best but prepare for the worst just in case. More than likely you and your DC will be absolutely fine with plan A, but knowing there’s a possible alternative can take a lot of the pressure off.

Try to get everything ready the night before each day - time will be precious in the mornings. Housework/chores can wait (withing reason) so let them wait. Going back to work should be a good thing too - and something to enjoy!

Hi Pearson.

My best tip for women returning from parental leave is actually for the employer, not the women themselves. When women want to work part-time after having children, don't keep them on more junior levels (or worse, demote them) because they want to work fewer hours. Instead, continue to promote them based on their skills and talents. Don't let your preconceptions about "full time" bias you and keep you from promoting capable women into senior leadership positions! I note that Pearson themselves suggest that "The gender pay gap at Pearson in Great Britain remains primarily a result of having fewer women in senior level roles." I do think that all companies need to have a long hard think about who they are excluding in this way.

I think it’s important to keep in mind when you’re returning to work and to try to make that as easy as possible. Keep in touch days are good and most company’s have a breastfeeding policy. I tried to be prepared by trying to get my breastfed son to take a bottle by the time I returned to work when he was six months old. I started introducing a bottle at 4 months and tried every bottle I could with no success! So I introduced solids a bit earlier so that I knew he was getting something in the day whilst I was at work. We managed to continue breastfeeding until he was 3 even with working! I think a good routine is also important, try to make a routine that can translate to your working days so it’s not such a change for the baby. Although babies generally make their own routine until around 6 months when you can shape it a bit more.

Plan in advance with your employer about what you think you want to happen when you come back (full or part time, earlier starts and finishes, compressed hours etc) as well as how you want to keep in touch while you’re off. It might change when you’re actually on leave but it sets expectations.

As others have said, take advantage of KIT days especially if you get paid for them, and spend time with your mat cover as well as your manager, and use them for department meetings etc too.

Keep in touch with other people in the business too - either for advice, or if you’re considering changing roles when you return.

I loved going back, both times. Get childcare arrangements in place as early as possible, do keeping in touch days and talk through any changes in your role with your line manager. I found that, even with all the build up to the day, once your back in the office, you just snap right back into it.

Make use of shared parental leave. It was far far easier for me to go back to work knowing DS was at home with his dad than trying to settle him in to nursery at the same time. Then he started nursery I was already back into the swing of things with work.

Take your time and relinquish any mum guilt. Plan ahead and try and make sure you feel comfortable with the childcare setting you choose.

It's about working out what's right for you and your family, and not being scared to change it - you might not get it right first time. Part time is right for some people, or condensed hours, but not others.

And remember it's about it working for you as a family, not just a mother, so if you've got a partner how will it affect them? What are they going to contribute to make it work? Who's going to take responsibility for childcare drop offs and pickups, and all the associated admin. All these things can be shared.

Using KIT (keeping in touch) days helps and also an easing back in plan. Also having the confidence to negotiate flexible working patterns. Sometimes getting things done for an hour in the evening has as much value as opposed to constant 'presenteeism' for no purpose

I would say keep in touch with work so it's not such a big culture shock when you go back.
Go back part time at first if you can and ease yourself back in - (especially if still breastfeeding)
Sort out childcare well in advance
Also work out division of labour in the house, very easy when on maternity/parental leave to slip into doing all the household stuff yourself and this needs to be sorted out too

Plan well and get organised. Utilise time. The hardest part for me, aside from the emotional aspects, was fitting in life organisation - housework, meal planning, food shopping, children's clothes, presents, parties etc. It only got harder with each child. I got a good planner and mapped out my time - I did this each week during my commute. Lunch time was spent running errands. Working for the right employer, who can give you the best work life balance is gold dust though.

Hi
I think being honest with employer if you are struggling helps, my work place offers flexible working which along with an understanding boss has been a lifesaver. I also think using keep in touch days or doing a bit of work from home during matnerity leave was really beneficial in helping me to feel ready to return to work. I also used some annual leave to gradually increase my hours rather than go from nothing straight back to full time, i gradually increased from 2 to 4 days (long days).
& as pp said - be kind to yourself!

Plan plan plan....but prepare to be flexible around those plans

Practice runs are a great idea as they take some of the stress out of wondering what is actually doable

Try and go back part time initially if possible...I would have really struggled going straight back in full time

Take up all offers of help from friends and family!