Building a Safe Return: Why Supporting Women After Childbirth Is a Workplace Imperative
- Valerie Lew-Kiedrowski
- Apr 8
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 9
Returning to work after childbirth is often described as "coming back." But for many mothers, the experience feels less like a return and more like entering a new world — one where the expectations are the same, but the personal circumstances have profoundly shifted.
At Relate-U-cation, we believe this moment deserves far more support, structure, and empathy than many workplaces currently offer and to help them we’re promoting our Returning Woman Worker program.
Why the Returning Woman Worker Program Matters Now
We are at a critical time where businesses are re-evaluating the importance of wellbeing, equity, and leadership culture. Yet the transition back to work after parental leave - one of the most vulnerable and defining stages in a working woman’s career - remains under-supported.
Research shows that many returning mothers:
Feel isolated, uncertain, or anxious about their place in the workplace
Experience a drop in confidence and fear being seen as “less committed”
Face real barriers to progression, flexibility, and psychological safety
This is true not only for women returning to a traditional office environment, but also for those navigating hybrid roles or managing their careers entirely from home. No matter the location, the return to work after childbirth requires clarity, compassion, and connection.
Without intentional support, these experiences don’t just affect individuals - they impact retention, culture, performance, and inclusion.
Our program is designed to support women’s experience of returning to work from a vulnerable passage into a supported, empowered transition - for both employees and their employers.
It helps organisations:
Ease the emotional and physical transition back to work.
Create flexible, psychologically safe work environments.
Equip leaders and managers to support returners with empathy and clarity.
Reduce post-leave turnover and the “motherhood penalty” in career advancement.
This applies equally to onsite teams, hybrid workers, and remote-first roles. Each context presents its own challenges - and our program is built to address them all.
Why Psychological Safety Is Key
When a woman returns to work after childbirth, she needs more than policies - she needs psychological safety:
The ability to speak up without fear of being judged.
The confidence to ask for flexibility.
The assurance that her contribution is still valued.
Creating this environment is not just an HR task - it’s an organisational mindset.
Aligning this week with World Health Day 2025
This year’s World Health Day theme - "Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures" couldn’t be more relevant. We believe that healthy beginnings don’t end with the birth - they continue at work. Supporting women as they return to work after childbirth is one of the most important investments an organisation can make.
Because when mothers feel safe, supported, and seen, whether in the office, working remotely, or navigating both. They don’t just return - they thrive.
Learn more about how our Returning Woman Worker program can support your team.
Visit: https://www.relateucation.com/returning-woman-worker for more information.
Contact Us or email us directly at team@relateucation.com.
