Returning to Work After Maternity Leave: How to Prepare for the Transition
Going back to work after maternity leave can bring up all sorts of feelings.
Going back to work after maternity leave can bring up a lot of different feelings. You might be looking forward to seeing colleagues, getting back into your role and having a little time to yourself again. You might also be worrying about childcare, being away from your baby, managing your workload or whether things will feel different when you return.
And then there's the practical side. What hours will you work? Who will look after your baby? Will your salary cover the childcare costs? Can you ask for more flexibility? How will you manage everything when you're no longer on maternity leave? There isn't one right way to return to work after having a baby. What works for one family might not work for another, and it's perfectly reasonable to need some time to work out what will work for yours.
The important thing is to give yourself time to think about the practical arrangements, understand your options and have the right conversations with your employer.
When should you start thinking about returning to work?
You don't need to spend your maternity leave constantly thinking about work, but it is worth starting to consider your return before the end of your leave. If you're taking the full 52 weeks, it can be easy to feel as though you have plenty of time. Then suddenly you're looking at nursery settling-in dates, your first day back and a long list of things to organise.
Starting the conversation early gives you more time to consider your options, particularly if you're thinking about changing your working pattern. I'd start by thinking about what you want your working week to look like. Do you want to return to your previous hours? Would fewer days or different start and finish times make family life easier? Are you considering working from home more often?
You don't have to know the answers immediately. But having an idea of what might work will make conversations with your employer much easier.
What happens to your job when you return?
You have legal rights when returning from maternity leave, and your employer should not treat you unfairly because you've had a baby or taken time away from work. If you return during or at the end of the first 26 weeks of maternity leave, you normally have the right to return to the same job. If you take more than 26 weeks, you should still be able to return to the same job unless it isn't reasonably practicable for your employer to offer it. If that isn't possible, you must be offered a suitable alternative role on terms and conditions that are no less favourable.
You should also continue to benefit from relevant pay rises and employment opportunities while you're away. If you're concerned about your role, a restructure or how you've been treated during maternity leave, our Maternity Rights & Employment guide explains your protections in more detail.
Flexible working after maternity leave
For many parents, returning to work means looking at their working pattern in a completely different way. The hours that worked before you had a baby might not fit around nursery opening times, commuting, feeding routines or the practical realities of sharing childcare. You may find that you want to reduce your hours, change your start and finish times, work different days or spend more time working from home.
You have the right to make a statutory flexible working request from your first day of employment. You can make two statutory requests in any 12-month period, and your employer must handle the request in accordance with the legal process. This doesn't mean every request has to be agreed. Your employer can refuse a request for one or more of the permitted business reasons, but they must consider it properly and follow the required process. The key is to think about what you need, how it could work for your role and how to explain your proposal clearly.
What could flexible working look like in practice?
Flexible working doesn't always mean reducing your hours. Sometimes a small change to your working pattern can make a big difference to how manageable the week feels. Here are a few examples.
How to make a flexible working request
If you're considering a change, it's worth putting some thought into your proposal before submitting it. A statutory flexible working request must be made in writing and should explain the change you're asking for, when you want it to start and whether you've made a previous statutory request. It can also help to explain why the arrangement would work for you and how you think it could work for the business.
For example, you might say:
I'd like to request a change to my working pattern when I return from maternity leave. I'm proposing to work Monday to Thursday, 8am to 4pm, rather than my current Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm pattern. This would allow me to manage childcare arrangements while maintaining my contracted hours. I've considered how this could work with team meetings and responsibilities, and I'd welcome the opportunity to discuss the practical arrangements.
You don't need to have every detail worked out, but a clear proposal gives your employer something practical to consider. Your employer must consult with you before refusing a statutory request and normally has two months to make a decision, including any appeal, unless you agree to extend this period. For the full explanation of your employment rights and how flexible working requests are handled, see our Maternity Rights & Employment guide.
Is returning to work financially worth it?
This is a question many parents find themselves asking, particularly when childcare costs are high. You might look at your salary and nursery fees and wonder how much you'll actually have left at the end of the month. It's worth doing the calculation using your expected take-home pay rather than just your gross salary.
Imagine your monthly take-home pay after returning to work is £2,200 and your childcare costs are £1,000 a month. That leaves £1,200 before you take account of any additional travel, work-related expenses or changes to household costs. You should also consider any childcare support you're eligible for, such as funded childcare hours or Tax-Free Childcare, where applicable.
The calculation will be different for every family, so don't assume that the nursery fee alone tells you whether returning to work is financially worthwhile.
You may also want to compare different working patterns. For example, would working four days rather than five reduce your salary but also reduce your childcare costs? Would changing your hours allow you to share childcare with your partner?
Our Maternity Pay & Finances guide explains maternity pay and the financial planning involved. The Maternity Blueprint can also help you compare childcare and working patterns alongside your household income.
Speak to your employer before you return
You shouldn't have to turn up on your first day back and work everything out as you go along. A conversation with your manager before your return can help you understand what's changed, what you'll be coming back to and whether any adjustments or support are needed.
It might be useful to discuss:
Any changes to your role, team or responsibilities.
Projects or priorities that have developed while you've been away.
Your working pattern and any flexible working request.
Training or updates you may have missed.
Your workload and expectations for the first few weeks.
Any support you need to settle back into your role.
You could also ask for a catch-up before your official return date, if that would help. Your employer doesn't have to arrange a particular meeting, but having an open conversation can make the transition feel much less daunting.
Can you use KIT days to prepare for your return?
Keeping in Touch (KIT) days allow you to work or take part in work-related activities during maternity leave without bringing your maternity leave to an end. You can use up to 10 KIT days, but they are optional and must be agreed between you and your employer. Some people use them to attend training, catch up with their team, understand what's changed or have a conversation about their return. You might agree to attend a team meeting a few weeks before returning, giving you a chance to reconnect with colleagues and hear about any important updates.
You don't have to use all 10 days, and you may prefer not to work at all during your maternity leave. It's entirely your choice. One thing to remember is that even working for part of a day counts as a full KIT day. For the rules around KIT days, payment and the 10-day limit, see our Maternity Rights & Employment guide or read the article Everything you need to know about KIT days.
Making your return to work work for you
Returning to work after maternity leave is a big adjustment, and there's no single approach that works for everyone. For some women, returning to their previous role and hours is exactly what they want. Others need a different working pattern, more flexibility or a little extra support to make it work.
The most important thing is that you understand your options and feel able to have those conversations.
You don't have to wait until your last few weeks of maternity leave to start thinking about it. The more time you give yourself to consider childcare, finances, working arrangements and the emotional side, the easier it can be to make decisions that feel right for you. And please remember that returning to work doesn't mean you've failed to enjoy maternity leave, just as enjoying maternity leave doesn't mean you've lost your ambition or interest in your career.
You can be a brilliant mum and still want a career. You can love your job and find leaving your baby difficult. Both things can be true.
Planning your return with confidence
At The Maternity Plan, I believe support shouldn't stop when your maternity leave starts. The return to work deserves just as much thought and preparation as everything that happens before your baby arrives.
That's why I created The Maternity Blueprint to help you plan the whole journey, including the things that are easy to overlook. It brings together your maternity planning, finances, important dates, annual leave, workplace conversations and return-to-work considerations in one place. You can also access practical workplace letters and templates to help you have those conversations with your employer. It's designed to take some of the mental load off your plate and give you somewhere to work through everything at your own pace.
Because returning to work is about more than agreeing a date. It's about feeling prepared, knowing your options and having a plan that works for your life now.
You deserve support that sees the whole you, not just the employee returning to work.
Discover The Maternity Blueprint
This guide provides general information for working mums in the UK. Your rights and entitlements may depend on your employment status and individual circumstances. For detailed guidance, visit GOV.UK and Acas.
Example 3: Compressed hours
You want to work your full contracted hours over fewer days.
For example, you currently work 37.5 hours over five days. You ask to work the same 37.5 hours over four longer days. This could give you an additional weekday away from work without reducing your salary, although it means longer working days and may not suit every role or childcare arrangement.
Think about whether longer days are realistic alongside nursery hours, commuting and your energy levels.
Example 1: Reducing your working week
Before maternity leave, you worked 37.5 hours across five days. You'd now like to work 30 hours across four days, giving you one weekday at home with your baby or to manage family commitments.
Your proposal might be:
Monday to Thursday.
7.5 hours each day.
Friday as a non-working day.
Think about whether your workload can realistically fit into four days, whether responsibilities need to be redistributed and how meetings and team cover would work.
It's also worth considering the financial impact. A reduction from 37.5 to 30 hours is a 20% reduction in contracted hours, so your salary would normally reduce by a similar proportion if you're paid pro rata.
Example 2: Changing your start and finish times
You currently work 9am to 5pm, but nursery drop-off makes that difficult. You propose working 8am to 4pm instead. Your total hours remain the same, but the earlier finish gives you more time to collect your baby and manage the evening routine.
This might be a relatively straightforward change depending on your role, team cover and when you need to be available.
Childcare: making the arrangements work
Childcare is often one of the biggest considerations when planning your return. You might already have a nursery place arranged, be relying on family support or still be looking at your options. Whatever your arrangements, it's worth thinking beyond the nursery fees and considering how childcare will fit into your working week.
If you work 9am to 5pm and your nursery is open from 8am to 6pm, the hours might look fine on paper. But what happens when you add your commute, traffic, a delayed meeting or a nursery collection deadline?
You may need to consider:
Nursery or childminder opening and closing times.
Travel time between work, home and childcare.
Who will handle drop-offs and collections.
What happens if your baby is unwell.
Whether your partner can share childcare responsibilities.
Whether you have any backup arrangements.
It can also help to arrange settling-in sessions before your return date, where possible. This gives your baby time to become familiar with the setting and gives you an opportunity to understand how the routine will work.
Try not to leave all of this until the final few weeks of maternity leave. Childcare arrangements can take time to organise, and having them in place earlier can take some pressure off your return.
Breastfeeding and expressing at work
If you're breastfeeding when you return to work, it's worth talking to your employer about what arrangements you might need. You may want to continue breastfeeding, express milk during the working day or have somewhere suitable to store expressed milk.
There isn't a general statutory right to paid breastfeeding breaks in the UK, but employers have health and safety responsibilities towards breastfeeding employees and should consider appropriate arrangements. Acas recommends that employers provide a suitable place to rest and express milk, and a private, hygienic place to store it. A toilet is not an appropriate place to express milk. If you think you'll need to express during working hours, raise this before your return so you can discuss practical arrangements such as breaks, facilities and storage.
Your first few weeks back at work
It's tempting to want everything organised and running smoothly from day one, but it may take a little time to find your rhythm again. You might need to get used to a new childcare routine, rebuild relationships with colleagues and get back up to speed with systems, projects and responsibilities. Try to give yourself some breathing space where possible.
It may help to agree priorities with your manager, arrange regular catch-ups and avoid committing to too much immediately. You may also find that your childcare arrangements need a little adjustment once you start working again. That's normal. What looks manageable on paper doesn't always work perfectly once you're living it.
Give yourself permission to make changes as you learn what works for your family.
The emotional side of returning to work
It's easy to focus on the practical arrangements and forget that returning to work can be an emotional transition too. You might be excited to get back to your role but also feel guilty about leaving your baby. You might worry that you've missed out on opportunities while you've been away, or feel unsure about how you'll manage work and family life.
You might also find that your priorities have changed. The job you loved before maternity leave may feel different now, or you may need time to get your confidence back. None of this means you've made the wrong decision.
Having a baby is a huge life change, and returning to work is another transition to navigate. Give yourself time to adjust rather than expecting everything to feel normal straight away. It can help to think about what a manageable first few weeks would look like. You don't have to prove yourself by taking on everything immediately. Talk to your manager about priorities, give yourself time to catch up and be realistic about what you can manage.
And if you're struggling emotionally, don't feel that you have to keep it to yourself. Speak to someone you trust or seek support from your GP or health visitor if you need it.
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