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Returning to the office after taking some parental leave, even if it was only for a short time, can be daunting.
There’s worries and questions such as – can you deliver from day one? Who’s taken over while you’ve been gone and are they better at the job? How will the boss handle the times when you need to collect your child from the nursery if they are sick?
The good news is that there are ways to make the return to work a positive experience. Here’s what you can do about it:
1. Be practical and proactive
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Make sure you’re prepared so you feel refreshed and can concentrate in the office. “Prepare as much as you can in the evening before e.g., clothes to wear (for you and your child), setting the breakfast table
“Create a morning schedule to avoid any last-minute rushing around and arriving at work stressed. Practice your morning routine a good week before returning; getting ready, taking your child to childcare and then making your way to your workplace,” advises Vicki Renz, IT consultant and YouTuber who is well known internationally for talking openly about women’s bodily and emotional changes as they journey into motherhood.
2. Be open to change
Things may have been changed around and responsibilities that were once yours may have been dished out to others. There may also be a couple of new employees or managers.
But don’t feel pressured to get up to speed all in one go or to grab back your power and responsibilities.
Renz says: “Remain open to changes which have happened during your absence. Remember you will need a good two weeks to catch up with what you have missed and get back into the working rhythm. Go for lunch with your team colleagues to gradually fit back into the group dynamic.”
3. Be honest about workload
If you are struggling, be open about it. “Ensure that responsibilities are discussed with your colleagues as soon as possible. Take on workload in the first couple of days. Be clear on how many hours you will be working and what you can fit into your day,” says Renz.
You may not feel comfortable talking about what you can do so early on from taking parental leave but doing so will ensure there are boundaries and that expectations on both sides are managed.
If there’s resistance, suggest other ways of working. “Consider offering flexibility in terms of working from home and a change to working hours. The change in working patterns could include offering more compressed hours (for example, working longer days and taking one day a week off), or changing start and end times,” says Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV-Library.
4. Know your rights
Breastfeeding mothers in South Africa are protected by the Basic Conditions of Employment Act and are legally entitled to two 30-minute breaks per day for breastfeeding or expressing milk if their infants are younger than six months.
If your HR department or manager is not aware of this rule point it out in a discreet manner and work out how you could fit this into your schedule if you are still breastfeeding.
5. Make sure you eat right
Prof. Lisanne du Plessis, spokesperson for the Association for Dietetics in South Africa recommends a healthy diet that is health-promoting and disease-preventing.
She explains: “It provides adequacy without excess, of nutrients and health promoting substances from nutritious foods and avoids the consumption of health-harming substances. Nutritious foods include whole foods (as close to its natural state as possible) from a variety of food groups: wholewheat starchy foods, plenty of vegetables and fruit, dry beans, split peas, lentils and soya, milk, maas or yoghurt, fish, chicken, lean meat, or eggs. Remember to drink lots of clean, safe water.”
Du Plessis adds: “Fats should be used sparingly; rather use vegetable oils than hard fats. Avoid sugar and foods and drinks high in sugar and high-fat salty snacks.”
6. Take time for you
Don’t forget to take some time out for you. “No doubt you will feel tried and just want to crash! So, make time for a short exercise routine. As a parent you need time for yourself once your child is in bed. Allow yourself to wind down and re-energise,” says Renz.
