Supporting mothers returning from maternity leave

“Give to gain”, that’s the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day which was celebrated on Sunday 8th March 2026. 

Whether it is fundraising, mentoring, advocacy, education or opportunity, we are sure that many SMEs up and down the country will be getting involved now or at some point during the year.

We wanted to use the momentum of the day to focus on a long-term action that SMEs can take: ensuring they have a supportive procedure for welcoming mothers back into the workforce after maternity leave.

New mothers are an important part of the workforce, but their lives will have changed with a new bond created and a major extra responsibility to focus on. Everyone’s different but they may well have built up extensive experience with you prior to the maternity leave and have a valuable skillset. A supportive workplace on their return will help you retain this asset for the future.

Before we talk about all the ways in which you could CHOOSE to support returning mothers, it is important to highlight the legal obligations.

What are your legal obligations towards mothers returning from maternity leave?

Before and during maternity leave, an employee is already protected from detriment (being treated worse than before, for example being overlooked for promotion, bullied, or having hours reduced without good reason), unfair dismissal (this is automatically triggered) and redundancy (for which they enjoy special protections).

These continue upon their return, and furthermore returning mothers are usually entitled to slot back into the same job. If the period of maternity leave is 26 weeks or less, exactly the same job. If more than 26 weeks, the same job or, if you have a genuine reason why this is not possible, a job of equivalent standing (same pay, seniority, location, benefits etc.)

There are also health and safety matters, including carrying out a specific risk assessment for them, and providing a suitable, hygienic area where they can breastfeed or express milk, should they wish.

How can you support returning mothers further?

With the legal obligations met, you can think about what kind of workplace culture you want to set or continue with, through your post-maternity-leave policy. 

You can’t second guess how a new mother will feel. But fatigue from sleepless nights and the strains of caring for a new-born, anxiety at the return to work, “baby brain”, and more serious mental health conditions like post-natal depression could potentially be at play. Or everything could have gone swimmingly (it does happen for a lucky few, apparently!). 

She may have childcare juggling to contend with, or that could all be in hand with nursery or the support of family. There will be no one size fits all, so what can you do?

Temper expectation. With all the changes, she may take time to get up to speed, or find a way of achieving the same outcomes but through a different rhythm. Developing a return-to-work plan with the new mother is a great place to start. If you’ve used keeping in touch (KIT) days, these could inform the plan well.

Phased returns and flexible working

In the plan, you may outline whether she comes straight back for a full return or if it will be phased to allow her to adjust to the dual role of employee and mother to a baby. 

A new baby may be a prime time for a flexible working request. Remember, after two rounds of legislation, how you handle these requests is becoming ever more prescriptive. You can turn them down, but you need a good reason. Balance her needs against those of the business as she, of course, has a very strong reason for asking. Statutory flexible working requests must follow the Acas code of practice.

Training and support

A lot can happen in a few months in some industries, so assess the situation to see if your employee will need training on the latest industry developments. Or maybe even some brief refresher training along with a reorientation introducing any new colleagues who have joined and other organisational changes.

More informal support could come in many guises, from regular check-ins with you or a line manager to a buddy or mentoring system if it fits your culture. It’s a fine line though. If you’ve been a parent yourself, you’ll know that not all advice is asked for, or welcomed.

Support from The HR Dept

We are always here to support you as the business owner. Whether it is meeting your legal obligations or nurturing a more supportive culture, we can provide professional guidance that works for your business.