Returning to work after parental leave can be a stressful experience. Not only is there a new member of the family, but you might also feel like a newcomer to a team you once knew well. 85% of mothers leave the labor market within three years of giving birth to a child. One of the main reasons cited is lack of support in the workplace. In the United States, only 27% of women have access to paid maternity leave, leading many to take shorter leaves to protect their jobs. In fact, several surveys show that 75% of women in management positions return to work in less than six months. There are success stories and I have interviewed some amazing people who have made it work for them in fintech. If you or a member of your team is considering a return to work, fintech experts share their insights and strategies to ease the transition.

Skills and empathy

Barbora Juhaszova is Head of Global Product Marketing at SAP Fioneer. She calls for maternity leave to be treated with more empathy in the workplace. You shouldn’t feel like you’re “abandoning your responsibilities” or that you’re not “fully part of the team.” She acknowledges that companies are making progress in raising awareness. She also believes that concrete actions are still lacking. Juhaszova encourages shared parental leave and transparent parental leave packages. She says companies should give “personal attention” to that person’s specific needs, saying their needs are “fluid and will change as well.” Thinking about the support you need and verbalizing it will make it easier to return.

When planning, it is essential to remember Karine’s thoughts on the new skills learned. Karine Martinez, Sales Director of Edenred Payment Solutions, successfully completed a career change and a nine-year break. She says you should reframe a career break, whether it was taken for reasons of study, career change, health or personal matters. “A break is a strength, not a failure,” emphasizing that it is part of who you are and the experience you bring to any role. Karine urges hiring managers to respect these breaks and recognize the value beyond the skills learned in the office. She encourages new parents to identify new skills they have learned during this time.

Schedules and support

As businesses increasingly return to full-time office working, the topic of flexible working remains a key issue. Stephanie Carr, enterprise architect at NatWest, is calling for a complete overhaul of childcare costs and increased government support. She describes the current child care system as “a model that is clearly not working,” noting that it fails to support women who want to pursue careers. Although she was “lucky” to be able to afford full-time child care, Stephanie wonders how other women can return to work without this financial ability. Her advice to new families is to build a strong support network to help meet the needs of the baby and the family. She emphasizes: “You should always have the choice to have a career and a family. »

Diana Paredes, CEO of Suade Labs, also highlighted the benefits of flexible working for new mothers. Reflecting on her own experience, she described her maternity leave as “wonderful” because, as CEO, she had the freedom to set her schedule. She continued to grow her business while having her baby and a nanny with her in the office. Diana shared that she didn’t anticipate how much she would miss her baby when she was separated. She promotes the importance and benefits of workplace-sponsored childcare. For her, being able to integrate work and motherhood was crucial. With her business serving as a “village,” she received the support she needed to balance her two roles.

Margaret is another great example of someone that management and the entire team have played a pivotal role in supporting. Margaret Gabriel, Head of Talent at CoinFund, shared her experience finding a new job while pregnant. During the interview process, she called her potential new boss to reveal her pregnancy, in the interest of transparency. In response, her future boss expressed excitement, celebrated her news and reassured her that the role would continue to progress. This response confirmed for Margaret that the company had strong values ​​and a supportive culture. Returning to work four months later, she appreciated the understanding and flexibility shown by her team. This fostered a “shared sense of camaraderie” within the firm. She said: “It takes courage and vulnerability to talk about the realities of pregnancy and parenting while working” and a culture that encourages this will reap the rewards. As a talent expert, she advises companies to take this long-term approach to their employees, even in early-stage industries like startups. Investing in human resources, rather than focusing only on short-term considerations, can bring substantial benefits to the business. Loyal employees often become critical contributors to the company’s success.

Promotions and staggered returns

Another success story is that of Layla. Layla White had support from her managers during her two returns to work after maternity leave. In both cases, she was promoted upon her return. She expressed her desire to balance her career and raising her family and attributes this to the flexibility and support of her managers. Now CEO and founder of TechPassport, Layla is a passionate advocate for a staggered return to work. She spoke about the challenges of managing a young family while “contributing to the business.” In the right environments and with the right setup, she felt “valued and empowered to succeed.”

Karen Rudich, CEO and founder of ELEMENTARYb, wants greater recognition of parental responsibilities for the entire family. She emphasized that “organizations often forget that men also want to be involved.” She believes parental leave policies should reflect this. Karen advocates for company cultures that encourage parents to attend events like “school plays” while pursuing their careers. By creating a supportive environment for returning parents, businesses can benefit from their talent and contributions. She also suggests that organizations can be flexible by offering “part-time return programs or staggered returns” to ease the transition.

Christian Zeiler-Muñiz is the Vice President International at Luno. He describes his parental leave experience as “one of the most formative and enriching experiences of my life”. During this time, he became his child’s primary caregiver and gained valuable knowledge about parenting, the needs of babies, and his own personal development. He learned about the challenges new parents face in the workplace. Before taking time off, Christian felt guilty about abandoning his professional responsibilities, fearing he wouldn’t find someone to take over from him. He initially struggled with this guilt, but eventually realized he had “the luxury of choice.” This realization opened her eyes to the pressure placed on birth parents to remain available. As a passionate advocate for equity, Christian emphasizes the importance of “breaking the bias.” By taking parental leave himself, he set a positive example for others who are unsure of how to balance their career and family responsibilities.

I have many other examples of how we can improve the transition back to work after a break. Supporting someone returning to work after the arrival of a new family member is a deeply personal journey. Taking time to think about how this experience affects you, your partner, your family, your team, and your boss can help us all become better allies to each other. If more companies make this a priority, more people will be able to thrive at work.