Returning to Work After Maternity Leave Isn't a Return, It's a Re-Entry
- Aug 14
- 4 min read
Isabel Theissen is an ICF-accredited motherhood & leadership coach with a background in digital marketing at leading global fashion brands. She supports modern mothers in navigating career and motherhood with more clarity, confidence, and compassion so they can thrive, personally and professionally.
For many organizations, maternity leave is treated as a logistical process. There are handovers to organize, paperwork to complete, and cover to arrange. Then, months later, the employee returns and is expected to step back into her role as though very little has changed.
But what if that's the biggest misconception of all?
Earlier this year, I set out to explore how this assumption shapes women's experiences of maternity leave and returning to work. Through two rounds of qualitative research, I interviewed 55 women across 13 countries, more than 10 industries, and a wide range of leadership levels.
Although every story was unique, one theme emerged consistently: women don't return to the same workplace as the same person.
Both they and their organizations have evolved. Yet most workplace systems continue to assume continuity.
Returning isn't going back
One of the strongest insights from the research was that the phrase returning to work is, in many ways, misleading.
Women described coming back while navigating sleep deprivation, childcare logistics, changing priorities, shifts in identity, and the emotional process of integrating motherhood into their professional lives. At the same time, many felt pressure, whether explicit or implicit, to perform exactly as they had before taking leave.
Meanwhile, the workplace had changed too. Teams had been restructured. Managers had moved on. Priorities had shifted. New colleagues had joined. Business strategies had evolved. In reality, returning to work is more like a reentry.
Recognizing this distinction changes everything. Instead of expecting women to simply resume where they left off, organizations can begin designing transitions that acknowledge the reality of change.
Three lessons every organization should consider
1. Reintegration deserves as much attention as maternity leave itself
Many women told me they felt reasonably prepared for going on maternity leave. Very few felt prepared for coming back.
The transition back into work shouldn't begin on an employee's first day in the office. It should start before maternity leave begins and continue well beyond the official return date.
Structured planning, aligned expectations, phased reintegration, and regular conversations help create a more sustainable experience, not only for employees but also for managers, teams, and the wider organization.
When reintegration is intentional rather than improvised, everyone benefits.
2. Managers shape the experience more than policies do
Across all interviews, one factor consistently influenced whether women experienced a positive return: their manager.
The most successful transitions were characterized by trust, flexibility, empathy, and open communication. Yet many participants acknowledged that receiving this kind of support often came down to luck.
Some happened to have managers who instinctively knew how to navigate the transition. Others did not.
Organizations shouldn't leave one of the most significant career transitions to individual intuition. Managers need practical guidance, confidence, and shared frameworks that enable them to support employees consistently throughout the maternity transition.
3. Motherhood can strengthen leadership
Perhaps the most encouraging finding challenged one of the most persistent workplace assumptions. Motherhood doesn't reduce leadership capability.
If anything, many women described becoming more intentional, decisive, empathetic, resilient, and effective after becoming mothers. They learned to prioritize, communicate more clearly, delegate better, and make decisions with greater perspective.
The challenge wasn't their capability. It was the expectation that they should immediately perform exactly as they had before while navigating one of life's biggest transitions.
Organizations that create space for this adjustment aren't lowering performance expectations, but instead are investing in leadership development.
From research to action
Research matters because it helps us see what many people experience but struggle to articulate.
These conversations reinforced my belief that maternity leave shouldn't be viewed as a temporary interruption to someone's career. It's a significant life transition that deserves thoughtful, structured support.
That's why I developed &Beyond, a maternity transition programme that supports organizations in creating more consistent and sustainable maternity leave and return-to-work experiences.
The programme combines organizational consulting, manager training, and individual coaching to create a shared framework that supports employees before, during, and beyond maternity leave.
Supporting maternity transitions isn't just about helping one employee return to work. It's about retaining talent, developing future leaders, strengthening inclusive cultures, and recognizing that people perform at their best when workplaces acknowledge the realities of this transition.
If you're interested in exploring the research in more depth, you can download my Maternity Leave & Beyond Report, which shares the key findings and practical recommendations from all 55 interviews. I've also created a complimentary Maternity Leave & Beyond Guide, including my Motherhood & Leadership Framework™, six essential conversations for leave and reentry, and a practical 30-, 60-, and 90-day reintegration framework for employees, managers, and HR professionals.
Read more from Isabel Theissen
Isabel Theissen, Motherhood & Leadership Coach
Isabel Theissen is an ICF-accredited Motherhood & Leadership Coach dedicated to empowering women through one of life’s most transformative chapters, motherhood. Before coaching, Isabel built a career in digital marketing at global fashion brands including Tommy Hilfiger, H&M, Farfetch, and Ecco. Her experience in these fast-paced environments gives her firsthand insight into the challenges women face when juggling ambition with motherhood. Today, Isabel supports modern mothers in navigating career and motherhood with greater clarity, confidence, and compassion. Through her work, she supports mothers in creating space to thrive, both personally and professionally.
