Women's Network blog mini-series
Pregnancy, Maternity and Returning to Work after Maternity Leave
The focus of this mini-series is to provide and signpost some useful information around women’s rights and issues within the workplace to members of the Network and the wider profession.
The first blog in this series covers pregnancy, maternity leave and returning to work.
Pregnancy and early parenthood are life‑changing experiences. For many members of the profession, they also overlap with work, careers and professional identity. How employers respond during this time has a lasting impact on retention, engagement and trust.
Pregnancy
During pregnancy, employees should feel confident that they can raise concerns, attend appointments and request adjustments without negative consequences.
The key thing to recognise is that pregnancy brings different needs for different people so employers should ensure there is clear communication and early conversations. Employers should also show a willingness to consider adapting working arrangements where necessary and be aware of their obligations in relation to allowing time off to attend appointments for ante-natal care.
Maternity
Women should check their Staff Handbook or office policies to ascertain their entitlement to maternity leave and pay. Some firms may provide for enhanced leave/pay. Firms should also make sure their policies in relation to maternity leave and pay are clearly documented and accessible by employees.
Firms should also recognise that pregnancy and leave are not exclusively issues for women and should consider their policies in relation to paternity leave and shared parental leave. As Ruth Bader Ginsburg said “"Women will only have true equality when men share with them the responsibility of bringing up the next generation”, so it is important for firms to consider what policies and support they have in place for expectant fathers as well as expectant mothers.
Maternity leave should be seen as a pause—not an exit—from working life. Firms can play an important role in maintaining connection with women on maternity leave (guided by an individual’s preference). This can include inclusion in key announcements, involvement in social events, and the use of Keeping In Touch (KIT) days. This can go a long way in preventing women on maternity leave from feeling isolated and out of the loop.
Returning to Work
Returning to work can be a very challenging time. Confidence may be lower and practical logistics such as arranging childcare can be complex.
Early conversations around what a return to work might look like are encouraged and firms should be open to considering flexible working patterns and phased returns where requested.
Practical matters such as ensuring work is covered during an employee’s maternity leave, appropriate handover and a thorough re-integration back into the office go a long way in helping women to return to work.
It’s also extremely important to avoid stereotypes that returning parents are less capable, less committed or less ambitious.
For firms, supporting employees through pregnancy, maternity and returning to work is about more than complying with legal requirements and statutory compliance. Planning, open conversations and a flexible and empathetic approach helps to ensure employees feel valued at every stage of this transition. This is extremely important to ensure the continued advancement of women within the legal profession and to ensure that firms can retain talent.
For more detailed resources around pregnancy, maternity and returning to work, you should visit NI Direct or the Labour Relations Agency.
