_Returning to work after maternity leave: the balancing act of motherhood and career

Ella Fabregat, Head of Commercial PR at Knight Frank

My daughter is upstairs sleeping, and I'm thinking about when to go back to work. In fact, barely a day goes by when I'm not thinking about my return to the office. I'm 6 months into maternity leave.

It surprises me that I miss it this much. While I love my career and the firm I work for, I thought becoming a mother would be all-encompassing, so much so that my previous life would fade into the background.

Why going back to work was never a question for me

Having a child is indeed transformative. However, it's hard to ignore a part of my life that, for over a decade, I've nurtured, agonised over, and ultimately become proud of.

For me, it was never a question of not going back to work. While I need to do it to pay the bills, I also need it to feel like myself - it took maternity leave for me to realise this. And I would like my daughter to grow up seeing a mother who's carving a place for herself in the working world and who, to the same extent as her husband, is balancing work with family and home demands.

Sadly, I realise not all new parents have the luxury of being able to pursue their careers.

The High Cost of Childcare: Why Some New Parents Can't Afford to Return to Work

Data from the OECD shows that the UK has one of the most expensive childcare systems in the developed world, and the cost of living crisis is exacerbating the issue.

According to a survey of 27,000 parents conducted by Pregnant Then Screwed and Mumsnet, 62% stated that childcare costs are now the same or more expensive than their rent or mortgage, making returning to work impossible.

Family-friendly benefits: how companies can support working parents

The business case for employers to provide 'family friendly' benefits is indisputable. Working in the real estate sector, I know that much time is spent reviewing and ranking the latest must-have office amenities to entice and retain employees; however, little is heard about facilities dedicated to helping parents return to work. Wouldn't this help address the gender imparity which, more often than not, sees mothers sacrifice their work commitments over fathers to respond to last minute childcare duties?

Goldman Sachs seems to think so, having opened an onsite nursery at its headquarters in New York in 1993, offering back-up childcare provision for staff with children between 3months and 12 years old.

In the UK, Cisco introduced benefits to help support its working parents, offering an onsite nursery at its headquarters in Hounslow for children between 3 months to 5 years. Employees pay a "significantly reduced" cost for the childcare service through the company's salary sacrifice scheme.

Some companies also offer childcare vouchers, enabling staff to allocate some of their salary to go towards the cost of nursery via a salary sacrifice scheme.

A growing number of UK businesses also provide enhanced maternity pay versus the statutory minimum; however, there is still a huge discrepancy from one place to another.  

Equalising enhanced Leave: how Knight Frank is reducing unconscious bias and valuing all parents

My firm provides an exceptional parental leave policy, being amongst the one in five UK employers to offer up to 52 weeks of leave at 26 weeks full basic pay. This is well ahead of the most common form of enhanced maternity leave offered by 42% of businesses, which is full pay for six weeks followed by the standard statutory rate (according to a poll of 375 employers by XpertHR).

Going further, Knight Frank's recently updated parental leave policy equalises enhanced leave for all parents, regardless of gender, whilst the length of service requirement has been reduced from two years to one. Not only does this help to reduce unconscious bias around hiring and promotions, but it goes a long way in making all individuals feel genuinely valued and supported.

With parental leave policies a hot topic amongst my maternity leave friends, it's clear that this is streets ahead of most.

Bringing new skills to the workplace: how motherhood can enhance your career

I look forward to returning to the workplace, hopefully able to bring with me some of the new skills motherhood has thrust upon me. Juggling and re-prioritising relentless demands, adapting to ever-changing plans, and constantly thinking at least two steps ahead at every juncture. I hope it has also imbued in me an ability to see the bigger picture better, letting go of smaller anxieties and focusing on what really matters.

Now, where did I put the baby's monitor?

Watch how we're helping our team to put family first below: