How would the World Change if more Mothers Returned to Work Feeling Supported, Empowered and Valued?

Fewer than 20% (1 in 5) of all new mothers, and 29% of first-time mothers, return to full-time work in the first three years after maternity leave. This falls to 15% after five years. 

17% of women leave employment completely in the five years following childbirth, compared to just 4% of men.

A  survey released by gender equality consultancy Shape Talent reports that 71% of women feel societal pressure to be primarily responsible for looking after their children and home, and a further 82% of women experience organisational barriers in workplaces that are still designed predominantly for men. The survey also showed that pressures at home are adding to this burden with 1 in 3 women saying that their home responsibilities consume their energy and leave them feeling inadequate at work.

Perinatal loss is rarely freely spoken about in the workplace but is more common than people realise with an estimated 1 in 3 people in the UK experiencing birth trauma and 1 in 5 pregnancies ending in loss. Imagine if women didn’t have to hide the fact that they are going through IVF or that they had suffered a miscarriage or birth trauma.

How would the world change if more mothers returned to work feeling supported, empowered and valued? 

It would mean that businesses have more women in senior leadership positions, and we would have more role models and diverse workplaces, allowing mothers to thrive in their careers. 

Investing in employees during this time will no doubt save employers a lot of money in recruitment, in hopefully retaining these highly skilled and much-needed employees in their businesses.

So how can organisations address these issues and barriers for women and birthing people returning to work? 

FLY Mama's innovative corporate well-being program bridges this gap in care. Created by working mothers and health care professionals to provide a holistic health approach. Supporting employees throughout their pregnancy, whilst at home on maternity leave, during the transition when returning to work and navigating life as a working mother. 

FLY Mama was recently awarded the Fast Start Award grant from Innovate UK and developed an employee benefit program. The innovative program makes professional support more accessible regardless of income, geographical location and or symptoms.  This project aims to put the self-driven healthcare approach at the fingertips of as many women across the UK as possible.

Returning to work after maternity leave and a career break can be overwhelming. Employees may feel anxious about whether they’ll achieve a healthy work-life balance or if they still have the right skills to succeed in their work. FLY Mama’s support program includes motherhood coaching to help improve their confidence when returning to work and support whilst balancing life as a working mum. 

In the UK, pregnancy and postnatal care including perinatal trauma and loss support is fragmented. Mothers can be left feeling alone, overwhelmed or unaware of where to find the right support available to them. With limited time, energy and funding it is not always possible for women to search for and receive the resources and care they need. 

All of the factors above hugely affect a woman's ability to return to work confidently and maintain a strong foundation of well-being without feeling overwhelmed, burnt out and unwell, which in turn affects her work. 

FLY Mama aims to support in-person services not replace them. Our self-directed programs improve the physical, mental and emotional well-being of mothers which we hope will have a ripple effect on their partners and children's well-being as well as increase their likelihood of returning to work in an optimal capacity. With the cost of living crisis and increasing strain on NHS services employees are looking for low-cost ways they can keep their workforce fit and healthy, protecting them from stress and burnout. 

FLY Mama has the perfect corporate well-being solution that helps you to support and retain your female talent.  Sign up and start making a difference today https://www.flymama.co.uk/professionals