News that childcare costs are soaring to over £600 per month1, following companies insisting on a return to the office, has resulted in many parents opting to either re-think their career or leave the workforce entirely.
New research* of new mothers in full-time employment across a wide variety of industries, to identify their experiences and biggest concerns upon returning to work.
The findings reveal that a whopping 94% of mothers feel nervous about returning to work after maternity leave, with nearly all also being forced to complete work tasks out of hours (97%). The research also found it took new mums five months on average to finally feel resettled into employment.
The top workplace considerations that mothers would like to see from their employers, include:
- Flexible hours (79%)
- Childcare options (66%)
- Part-time work (60%)
- Training opportunities (31%)
- Mentoring scheme (27%)
At the other end of the scale, the study also found that the top five concerns for new parents when returning to work from maternity leave, include:
- Not spending enough time with their children (67%)
- Feeling out of the loop in the workplace (65%)
- Not wanting to be away from home (51%)
- Nervousness during work (47%)
- Unexpected team changes (45%)
One new mother, Julie Kirkham from Oldham, found balancing a demanding career and motherhood to be extremely difficult, and took matters into her own hands to find a career that suited her new lifestyle. “Working as a medical secretary and juggling a voluntary role alongside being a mother of four young children wasn’t working – I knew I needed a change. The 9-5 lifestyle was no longer suitable for my lifestyle and my previous working life was near impossible to manage!”
Speaking on the benefits of her career move from the medical profession to logistics, Julie commented “I was able to pick and choose when I worked, which was great on school holidays. I was also earning more money than my previous job, and quickly realised that working weekends was more lucrative than weekdays – I was loving my new life as a lorry driver!”
And with just one in five logistics workers being female, it is a sector that welcomes female applicants. The transferable skills that come with parenthood, such as organisation, juggling multiple tasks and planning ahead, prove ideal for a career for many roles within the logistics sector.
Bethany Windsor, Programme Manager at Generation Logistics, commented: “When it comes to supporting new parents, the logistics sector is really paving the way. From training opportunities to flexible work arrangements and mentoring, all of which were rated as the top considerations from mothers returning to work, the logistics sector is strides ahead of other business areas.
www.generationlogistics.org/parental-returners
*Generation Logistics
