Easing back into work after maternity leave

Dear Mums going back to work, 

Returning to work after maternity leave can be hard. 50% of the Eight Recruitment office are mums so you can trust us when we say we know (well most of us) how you’re feeling.  

Regardless of if you’re a first or fourth time mum, transitioning back into work after time off can be difficult as you get used to a new schedule, have a baby transition into daycare or other care, and try to pick up where you left off.  

In addition to the brain fog, you might have forgotten a few things like how to screenshot, or what the trick is to get the printer working, but that’s okay. The screenshot thing actually happened, and we wouldn’t have been surprised but it was our resident IT go-to who usually is the one who teaches us that kind of stuff. So yep, it happens to the best of them.  

One thing we’ll bang on about is that you’re not expected to come back and hit the ground running and if you’ve got a supportive workplace, they’ll understand this (if you don’t, we’re a recruitment agency and can help out with that).  

Nadene who had 3 kids under 3 knows the ins and outs of returning to work after mat leave well, so we've chatted to her and gotten some tips to help you get back into work mode.  

1. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.  
   
   We know this is easier said than done, but we also know that when you’re heading back to work you might be feeling like you have to return to similar duties you left in. Setting expectations, particularly with your manager, will help manage this and if you’re on the same page it will hopefully take some weight off your shoulders.  
2. Ease back into it.
   
   Jumping straight into the deep end may not set you up for success. If you can, ease back into it, take your time and adjust slowly back into work. Especially as you’ve become used to spending every day with your baby it’s likely going to take some time to become accustomed to it again. Feeling guilty can be common for mums and being torn between work and mum life is a difficult balance.  
   
3. Plan. Plan. Plan.
   
   You’re a mum so we probably actually don’t need to preach this one much. And if this isn’t your first, you’ll know that kids are unpredictable, and daycare calls are inevitable, but if you drop them off with a sniffle and then pray to the daycare gods enough, you might just make it through the workday. 
   
   But if it is your first, know that if you don’t pray at exactly 25.5 seconds after you walk after daycare and promise that you’ll follow daycare’s dietary requirements, you’ll be called before lunch to come and pick them up.  

We’ve been chatting about this topic a lot lately as Eight is welcoming back two recruiters from maternity leave over the next few months. But in addition to this we’ve got a few more mums who impressively manage the balance between mum and work life, and even though they work part-time, they’re just as much a key part of our business.  

Sometimes we are a forgetful bunch and so Amy’s out of office that she has set for her day off on Wednesdays is a perfect example of setting expectations and politely reminding your colleague for the 8,349 time that you don’t work a certain day of the week. And we also love the updates on Ziggy’s bike-riding adventures 👇 

You’ve got this mums. If doubt is creeping into your mind about returning to work, our recruiters who are mums like to note that coming back to work means you get to go to the toilet by yourself. And you can duck out of the office to go to a shop without 17 bags. It’s the little things, right?  

Good luck, 

The Eight team.