Returning to work after becoming a parent

Same dedication, new perspective. ?Let’s face it, returning to work after becoming a parent is a big deal, and one that comes with a myriad of questions, choices, altered priorities, and a whole new world of logistics.

Over 70% of children in couple families have both parents in employment, and more parents than ever are now working full-time[1]?. (Source: ONS).?Alongside this, parents spend more time taking care of their children than they used to (Source: Working Families).

There’s a clear shift in the choices that families are making about the balance of work and care.

?“Until becoming a parent, I had let life happen to me. Having children made me question everything - which I needed to do. I had given my whole self to my career - more than I should have done. Now I needed to do what was best for me and my family.” (Jaye)

?Without change, nothing changes. It’s really important to stress that there is no right answer when it comes to balancing a career and raising a child.?Being at home with your children brings benefits.?Being at work brings benefits.?

Research shows that mums returning to work - combined with an increase in dads taking parental leave or sharing leave - can improve relationships and the quality of co-parenting for up to five years after the birth of a child(1).

Enlightening isn’t it? The point is, doing what’s been done before isn’t always the best way. Every family’s experience is unique.?And that’s how it should be.

Change is good but it needs to be supported.

Sixty-seven per cent of parents in the UK say that work pressures affected their ability to be the parent they want to be. (Source: ONS).

This can be demoralising and debilitating, affecting parents’ mental health. This isn’t going to benefit anyone: parent, child or employer. Which is where From Another comes in.

We’ve got your back. At From Another, we’re not advocating for a particular balance.?We’re providing tools and insight that’ll enable you to decide what works best for you and your family.?

We’re here to make work, work better for parents, families and employers.

While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, there are things you can start to question, plan, and prepare now. We’ve conducted extensive research, had conversations with working parents, and employers, and pulled all the information together to help you make informed decisions.

We’ve created a new resource hub on our website that’s all about returning to work, designed to support you as parents, but also employers.

There’s an actionable toolkit to help you prepare for those first few weeks (and beyond).

The benefits of planning have been demonstrated time and time again in the research. The more you prepare and plan how you’d like your work/home balance to be, the more likely you are to achieve it.

We hear you. We don’t have all of the answers, but what we do have is a whole load of content built on real-life situations and experiences.?

?You’ll find

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All in easily digestible formats, because we know your time is short.

There’s also useful advice on topics like the value of coaching support, and how to have more productive conversations with your employer.

The story is a positive one. From Another intends to highlight to people and employers that being a parent can be an overwhelming positive in the world of work, not a hindrance.

There are endless transferable skills between being a parent and what you do at work (and vice versa). With support, flexibility and compassion, this skillset can lead to a flourishing career and the ability to be ‘you’ with your children at home.

But perspective is everything. Two people going into a face-to-face meeting. For the parent, this may be a conversation they’ve spent weeks preparing for and worrying about.?

For the manager it may be one of many meetings they need to have that day.?

For the manager the outcome of the meeting could impact their team or themselves at work.?For the parent, the outcome could affect every aspect of their life and everyone in their family.

That’s why From Another exists. To create space. To ask the hard questions. To listen to both working parents and employers. To research key topics and enable you to use the learning to implement best practices in the workplace.

?For employers. We’re not just here for parents, we’re here for employers too.?Everyone wants to get the best from their employees – and any parent returning to work will be anxious about how things have changed in their absence.?Our research provides some great insights into how to get it right with employees who are returning to work after taking parental leave.

?“Your family will fill your time, which is lovely. You can’t pretend your life is the same as before because it isn’t.” Michael

We are advocating for parents to have the support and opportunity to make the choices that are right for their families, and the employer has a vital role to play in this.

Same dedication, new perspective.

Visit our Resources page at www.fromanother.co.uk to find out more about what parents and employers are saying. And arm yourself with the tools, insights and perspective to make work, work better for you.

What are your thoughts, feelings, and experiences on the topic? We’re gathering stories, and we’d love to hear from you [email protected]

The From Another team.