The key to surviving returning to work after parental leave? Communication

Going back to work after parental leave can be daunting for many parents. The good news is I survived, and the key to my survival? Communication of course!

I’m Sue Loftus, the newest member of Elm Communications. I’m also a mum returning to work for the first time after having a baby. 

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t prepared for how hard the transition would be. Even with the prospect of an amazing new career opportunity, working for someone you admire (who takes you to the Cook Islands…story for another day), the panic and dread still crept in as I approached my first day: I’ve been out of the game so long, what if I fail? Can my brain do more than calculate wake windows? How am I going to juggle work, housework, and quality time with my family? And the guilt. Don’t get me started on the guilt of leaving my child….

Don’t worry, it’s not all doom and gloom. I am happy to report that as I sit here writing this, I am finding my groove again and absolutely loving being back in the comms world! 

Bad news though, that guilt I mentioned? Yep, never goes away. But the good news is that if returning to work is as daunting for you as it was for me, there are some things you can do to make the transition a whole lot easier. For me personally, they all had one thing in common – communication! 

• Be open and honest: If you’re struggling to get back into the swing of things, I encourage you to be open with your boss. I learnt that the only person that expects you to dive straight back in on your first day, is you. If like me you needed time to ease in, speak to your boss about starting back part-time even if for the first few weeks. Alternatively ask your boss: Can I work from home some days? Can I do some work outside of core hours? If covid taught us one thing (other than cover your mouth when you cough) it’s that flexible working does work!

• Set expectations: You’re a different person to who you were before you left work. I love my profession, but I love my child more and that means I can’t work around the clock like I used to. So sitting down with your boss and setting those expectations early on isn’t a bad idea. For me, making sure I knew exactly what was expected of me, and in return communicated the type of support I needed to make our working relationship a successful one, has made the transition so much easier – on both of us!  

• Don’t be afraid to ask for help: Let’s be real, things have probably moved on a bit since you left work. These days technology moves faster than my toddler does as soon as any of the baby gates are left open. I wish I could say I spent my maternity leave keeping across trends and developments, but the reality is I spent it googling “how to get babies to sleep at night” and “my baby sneezed, what virus do they have.” So if you are in a meeting with your boss and they ask you to set up a Mural Board for a workshop and you have no idea what that is. Ask for help. 

Lastly, celebrate the wins. I know it sounds cliché but there’s going to be days when you feel like you’re failing. Failing at work or failing as a parent. So you should celebrate the wins, big or small, when you can. Whether it be getting everyone ready for the day and out the door on time or getting through your first client meeting in over a year. Celebrate it cause you’re doing great. 

Have you recently returned to work from parental leave, long service leave or even just a break in your career? We’d love to hear what helped make the transition back easier for you?