Navigating Maternity Leave and Returning to Work: My Journey with Dunelm Tech

Written by Emma Stockton

How do you go back to normality after 12 months of newness?

Embracing Maternity Leave

As I sit down to reflect on the past year, I am filled with mixed emotions. Taking 12 months off for maternity leave was a significant decision that allowed me to bond with my little one and adjust to my new role of being a mum, a time that I’m so grateful for! I thought returning to work after a year away would feel like stepping into a new world and I wasn’t far wrong. The company had evolved, my team no longer existed, and I was eager yet anxious to reintegrate back into my role as a developer.

Throughout my maternity leave, the support from my manager and colleagues was invaluable. Their efforts to keep me connected and informed made a world of difference when it was time to return. In this blog, I want to share my experiences of staying connected with work during my leave, the challenges I faced and the incredible support that made my transition back to work smoother.

Staying Connected

To say I am grateful to my manager at the time, Mark, for keeping me in the loop, would be an understatement. Parenthood felt like a completely different world, often making me feel isolated from what was going on in the real world and my work life seemed like a distant memory! Having those points of contact to reconnect with Dunelm and stay updated on all that was happening was invaluable.

Dunelm provided me with 10 ‘Keeping In Touch’ (KiT) days, which I could use however I found most beneficial. I chose to use them for a mix of in-person events, team days, and time to ensure my laptop was up to date and functioning properly (there were quite a few updates to run!). I also joined team meetings to get up to speed with what the team was working on and what my role would be upon my return. These KiT days meant that my first day back wasn’t daunting. I didn’t feel nervous because I already knew my laptop was working and knew exactly what was expected of me when I returned. I was able to slip straight back into my role and get on with my work seamlessly.

Challenges Faced During Maternity Leave

During my time on maternity leave, there were significant company-wide changes at Dunelm, particularly within Dunelm Tech. These changes affected me and my team and would have been a big shock to come back to had my manager not reached out to update me almost immediately.

Company changes happen all the time, not just at Dunelm, and whether big or small, they can have a lasting impact on individuals and teams. Had I not known about the reorganisational changes before my return, I would have likely felt very isolated and forgotten about, and wouldn’t have felt like a valued member of the team.

Taking an extended period off work for maternity leave brought its own set of mental challenges. It’s hard to step away for so long without worrying about being left behind, especially in the fast-paced world of tech where new developments and changes are constant. I often found myself anxious about whether I would be able to slot back into my role as a developer. The fear of needing to retrain to get back up to speed and catch up with everything I had missed was overwhelming at times. I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling this way; many others on maternity leave likely feel the same way.

Support Systems

I’ve mentioned how thankful I am for my manager, Mark, for keeping me in the loop while I was on leave. Having that support and knowing that if there was anything I needed to know, I’d be informed, was a real weight off my mind. I never felt like I had to rush back to work and that really helped settle my anxiety about returning.

I am very lucky that my team is made up of many amazingly talented people, most of whom I have worked with before. Every one of them made me feel welcome and helped me jump straight back into the work. I asked about a million stupid questions (I know, “there’s no such thing as a stupid question”…) and they were answered without judgement in the most helpful ways. I may have forgotten how to perform some of the simpler tasks and how some things work, but I never felt that I couldn’t ask my team and for that, I’m extremely grateful!

Flexibility and Work-Life Balance at Dunelm Tech

Flexibility is important for a lot of people for many different reasons. I’ve always really appreciated the amount of flexibility and trust that Dunelm gives its employees and I now feel even more grateful for that. Having a toddler means unpredictable wake-up times and I’m often really glad to be able to start early and finish early too. There are of course days where I need a little extra time to myself on a morning! So knowing that it’s okay to start a bit later, helps to take some of that pressure off.

Of course, having a little one at nursery is like having a little ball of germs just waiting to explode into a cold at any given time, so not dreading those calls from nursery telling me to pick up my son is great. I know that my team understand when I have to leave early (thankfully, not that often as of yet!) and I always make sure to be as transparent and honest as possible with them to ensure no one is left in the dark or wondering where I am.

Reflections on Returning to Work

Overall, I think I’ve settled back into work really well. I admit that when I was on maternity leave, thinking about returning to work, I was dreading it. I had no idea how I was going to feel being back at work, I didn’t know if I had completely forgotten how to do my job and I didn’t know how I would cope with my new work/life balance. I really needn’t have worried. It’s been lovely having something for myself again and being able to plan how I can further my career.

Looking Forward

My advice to anyone planning to return after maternity leave would be to take as many KiT days as possible. I found those truly invaluable in setting myself up for success once I returned and made the transition super smooth.

I feel lucky to work for a company that values home life and promotes flexibility, it really does make a difference in helping me feel secure and happy at work. So thank you to everyone who has supported my return and to my amazing team for helping me slot right back in to the day-to-day!