Women returning to work after a period away (maternity/adoption/parental leave, caring responsibilities, ill health, bereavement, trauma, a career break, redundancy, or starting a new job) often face a “double load”: re-entry pressures at work alongside major life change at home.
Each scenario can involve identity change, confidence dips, disrupted routines, and practical constraints (sleep deprivation, medical appointments, childcare logistics), which can amplify mental health risk.
UK evidence shows the return-to-work window is associated with high levels of stress and anxiety, and it is also a talent and productivity risk for employers. If organisations do not manage this transition well, they can accelerate the loss of women from higher-paid roles, senior roles and the workforce altogether.
The next generation of women will increasingly expect employers to take meaningful action (not just policy statements). Employers that fail to modernise risk losing talent to competitors offering better flexibility, better manager capability and psychologically safe cultures.
Yet many employers still think this isn’t their problem.
What the evidence shows
51% of employees reported a negative experience returning to work after maternity leave, with only 17% feeling confident about returning to work and 70% reporting feelings of stress, anxiety and dread about returning.
29% of working parents reported high or extreme levels of stress.
62% of mothers said childcare disruptions had impacted their ability to work.
ONS reports approximately 69% of women are in employment with a dependent child aged 0 to 2 years.
ONS analysis of England (April 2014 to December 2022) estimates that between one and five years after the birth of a first child, women’s monthly earnings were 37.9% to 42.0% lower than the year before birth (a loss of £948 to £1,051 per month). The bulletin also notes maximum earnings reductions in the first year after birth (a period when women are most likely to take parental leave of some duration).
This matters for senior and higher-paid roles: a sustained earnings penalty is often a proxy for reduced hours, role change, stalled progression, or exit from higher-paid tracks.
The pressures that push women out
Women often exit due to multiple pressures:
- Role design that assumes full-time, always-on availability
- Childcare logistics and disruption (which disproportionately fall on mothers)
- Confidence and identity shift after major life events
- Manager behaviour
- Culture and bias (motherhood bias, assumptions about commitment)
- Career penalties (fewer stretch projects, reduced visibility, slower progression)
When these pressures stack up, women may step down from leadership tracks, reduce hours or move to lower-paid roles, leave their employer or completely leave the labour market temporarily or longer-term.
Returning is a psychological transition, not just a date
The “return” is not just a date—it’s a psychological transition. 70% have reported experiencing stress, anxiety or dread about returning. Common drivers include fear of being judged as less committed, worry about performance after time away, loss of confidence and professional identity shift, and guilt about childcare choices or time away.
What poor re-entry looks like in practice
A People Management article covered the following experiences:
- Being undermined or “gaslit”
- Feeling like an inconvenience
- Exclusion from key discussions
- Unexplained changes to role/responsibilities
These experiences can worsen anxiety and reduce psychological safety.
The ongoing strain after the first day back
With 62% of mothers reporting childcare disruptions affecting work, many women experience ongoing strain that can present as:
- Persistent stress and fatigue
- Reduced concentration
- Increased sickness absence risk
- Higher likelihood of considering reduced hours or exit
Negative return-to-work experiences can drive resignations or “quiet quitting.” Even when employees stay, poor re-entry support can reduce productivity and engagement.
What employers stand to lose
Women in the “returner window” are often mid-career. If they exit or stall, employers lose:
- Future managers and technical specialists
- Diversity in leadership succession
- Return on investment from training and development
Without structured support, managers may misinterpret temporary adjustment needs as performance issues, leading to unfair capability processes, higher grievance risk and increased absence and presenteeism.
The legal and cultural risk
Poor handling of returners can create risk around pregnancy/maternity and sex discrimination, flexible working disputes, harassment (including “banter” culture), line manager consistency, career penalties and exclusion, stigma, or “motherhood bias” workplace cultures.
Do you think it’s your problem now?