Building Better Workplaces to Support Women Returning to Work

Building Better Workplaces to Support Women Returning to Work

This month I went with a topic very pertinent to my current team. In a relatively small team of 7 we have one woman returning from parental leave next week, one returning in March, and one leaving on parental leave in March as well. It’s an exciting time! As I was looking for podcasts for this month, I discovered this one about how we can better support women returning to the workplace and how important it is - which I thought was perfect.

It’s also a great opportunity to introduce yet another podcast series, this one called Culture Happens from Hub Spot.

The episode features Allison Robinson, CEO and Founder of The Mom Project. I was surprised to learn that 43% of highly qualified women will leave their careers for a period of time, and only 74% will rejoin the workforce (2004 study by the Center for Work-Life Policy). Clearly there is room for improvement.

Suggested discussion questions (if you need something to start the conversation):

• Flexibility and Respect are called out as the two most important factors in creating a better experience for women returning to work. What do these two words mean to you in this context?

• As a manager or even as a co-worker have you ever received any training or guidance on how to setup women returning to work for success? Do you know if your company offers any sort of “returnity” program?

• Are you a women who returned to work after a parental leave? What was most challenging for you? What would you change or ask to have changed if you could do it over again?