Returning to Work After Maternity Leave: You’re Not Alone

I know all too well how difficult returning to work after maternity leave can be. I was the person who said, “Maternity leave won’t change me - I’ll be exactly the same, just with a baby.”

Oh, how wrong I was.

The day it all began.

When it came to going back, I struggled far more than I expected. In the end, for a mix of reasons, I made the decision to leave my job and start my own business.

The more I speak to other mams, the more frustrated I get. I hear stories that are not only morally wrong, but in some cases, what’s happening in workplaces is quite frankly illegal.

So the aim of this blog is simple:

To explain your legal rights after maternity leave in a clear, human way - because knowledge is power. And if this helps even one woman feel more confident and supported in her return, I’ll be happy.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• How to look after yourself

• KIT days

• Flexible working requests

• Phased return

• Breastfeeding & returning to work

• What to do if things go off-plan

  
  

Returning shouldn’t feel like you’re doing it alone. You’re not.

How to Look After Yourself When Returning From Maternity Leave

Let’s be honest, returning to work after maternity leave can feel huge.

Your world has been turned upside down, you’ve been away from the routine for months, and your hormones may still be all over the place. On top of that, there’s childcare, nursery settling-in, and suddenly having to be somewhere at a specific time again.

It’s a lot.

The important thing to remember is: you’re not alone, and there’s nothing wrong with you for finding this hard. So many women feel overwhelmed when they return; they just don’t always say it out loud.

Sharing your experience with others can be incredibly helpful. Don’t suffer in silence. Feeling wobbly at this stage is completely normal.

Here are a few things that can support you through the transition:

• Journaling to process your thoughts and feelings

• Talking to someone you trust - don’t bottle everything up and suffer in silence

• Mindfulness practices like meditation, gratitude, or breathwork

• Connection - other mums going through this can make you feel seen and understood

  
  

If you want the science behind why these tools work, check out my blog on neuroscience. This is not about adding more to your plate; it’s providing you with some practical tools that can help. 

Before we move into your legal rights, the first practical step I’d suggest is:

Get hold of your company policies (maternity, flexible working, breastfeeding support, return to work).

Everything in this blog outlines your legal rights - but it’s important to understand your company’s specific stance and procedures too. You should have access to all of this; however, if you cannot find the information, I suggest emailing your manager or HR for a copy of these policies. 

KIT Days - What You Need to Know (and How to Use Them)

When you’re on maternity or adoption leave, you can work up to 10 ‘Keeping in Touch’ (KIT) days without:

• Ending your maternity leave

• Losing your Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)

(Source: CIPD)

KIT days are completely optional. Your employer cannot demand that you do them, and you don’t have to take them if you don’t want to.

But they can be a really helpful way to:

• Ease yourself back in

• Reconnect with your team

• Build confidence before your full return

• Remove the “first day back” shock

What can KIT days be used for?

Pretty much anything that supports your return, such as:

• Team meetings

• Training

• Project work

• Catch-ups or handovers

• 
  

And here’s something worth knowing: KIT days don’t always have to mean physically being in the office. If it makes more sense for you to work remotely, for example, joining a meeting online or catching up on emails from home, that can absolutely be discussed and agreed with your employer.

A friend of mine recently asked if she could do her KIT days from home because she was struggling to get her baby off the breast and onto a bottle. That’s a perfect example of how flexibility can help make KIT days work for everyone.

N.B. Whether you’re there for one hour or a full day, it still counts as one KIT day.

Pay for KIT days

In most cases, you should be paid your normal contractual rate for KIT work - even if you’re simply attending training. It still counts as work under your contract.

You will:

• Continue to receive SMP for that week, and

• Your employer can reclaim SMP from HMRC as usual

  
  

They can also choose to pay you additional contractual pay on top of SMP for the work done.

To avoid any confusion:

• Agree KIT day pay in advance

• Ask for confirmation in writing.

A quick heads-up on pay

Some employers “offset” SMP against KIT day pay - meaning they deduct the SMP from your pay, so you end up receiving the same amount whether you work or not.

This is allowed, but it’s worth knowing before you agree to any KIT days. Always check your company policy and ask if they offset pay or pay in addition.

Why KIT days matter

KIT days can be a really positive way to ease back in at your own pace - especially if you’re nervous or unsure about how work will feel again.

Used well, they can give you confidence, clarity, and a gentle transition before your official return date.

Flexible Working Requests

Flexible working isn’t just about fewer hours. It can mean BIG changes across how, where, and when you work. For example:

• Part-time hours

• Compressed hours

• Job-shares

• Remote or hybrid working

• Different start-finish times

  
  

It’s all about making your job work for the life you now have.

Your rights

• Every employee in England, Scotland and Wales has the right to request flexible working from Day 1 of employment. This is important to note if you start with a new organisation, you can put a request in on your first day, and it must be handled in the same way. 

• That right is your request - it doesn’t guarantee approval, but your employer must handle it properly.

  
  

Your employer can:

• Accept your request in full

• Accept part of it

• Refuse it, but only for a genuine business reason

  
  

It’s now the employer’s responsibility to explain why it won’t work.

What your employer must do

If you make a statutory flexible working request, your employer must:

• Deal with your request reasonably (ACAS Code of Practice)

• Consult with you and discuss alternatives if needed

• Make a decision within 2 months

• Provide a business reason if refusing

• Confirm agreed changes in writing

• Update your contract within 1 month if your terms change (hours, pay, location)

  
  

You can read the full list of valid business reasons on the ACAS website. This is useful if it is declined to ensure they have followed ACAS Code of Practice.

You cannot be treated worse because you asked for flexibility

By law, you are protected from:

• Unfair dismissal

• Detriment (being treated worse)

• Negative treatment linked to your request

  
  

Protection applies when:

• Making a request

• Planning to make a request

• Raising concerns about your request

• Appealing a decision

• Making a claim

  
  

Detriment means having your situation made worse, for example:

• Being bullied or harassed

• Being excluded from meetings

• Being denied training without a reason

• Being overlooked for promotion

• Having hours or duties unfairly reduced

  
  

And here’s the important part: Treating you worse because you asked for flexibility can amount to:

• Unlawful discrimination

• Victimisation

• or, in some cases, unfair dismissal

  
  

If this happens:

• Document it

• Ask for reasons in writing

• Seek advice from ACAS or Citizens Advice immediately

You do not have to just “put up with it”.

How to make a statutory request

Put your request in writing (check company policy as they may have a way to do this) and state clearly that it’s a “statutory request for flexible working”. Include:

• The date

• The change you want (where, when, how many hours)

• When you’d like it to start

• Whether you’ve made previous requests, and when

Formal vs informal requests

You might be able to agree changes informally, but in my experience, I strongly suggest using the formal statutory process. It protects you if:

• Management changes

• Circumstances change

• Expectations shift

• There’s a dispute later

  
  

It ensures everything is documented and reduces unnecessary conflict.

A quick chat in a corridor does not protect you.

A decision in writing does.

Attending the meeting

Sometimes this process can feel stressful - you’re juggling a lot, and emotions can run high.

While not a legal right in every case, you can ask to bring someone with you for support, such as:

• A colleague you trust

• A union representative

  
  

If you submit a formal statutory request, your employer must:

• Meet with you professionally

• Have a note-taker present

• Record the conversation accurately

  
  

A quick, informal chat over coffee is not acceptable for a formal decision.

If you’re not offered a proper meeting, you are well within your rights to request one or point your employer to the ACAS Code of Practice.

The meeting should be a professional conversation where you explain your request, explore how it can work for the business, raise any concerns, and discuss alternatives or trial periods.

Your employer may accept your request, offer alternatives, suggest adjustments, or decline (but only with valid business reasons). Whatever the outcome, it must be confirmed in writing, and you have the right to appeal if it’s not accepted in full.

A final tip from me

Document everything:

• Emails

• Decisions

• Notes from calls

• Meeting outcomes

  
  

It protects you later if anything changes, and it’s completely reasonable to do so.

Phased Return to Work

A phased return can be hugely helpful when you’re coming back after maternity leave. It allows you to ease yourself back into the routine gradually instead of jumping straight into full hours or office days from week one.

This might look like:

• Slowly increasing your hours each week

• Gradually reducing the number of days you work from home

• Building back up to full responsibilities over time

  
  

You continue to accrue annual leave while you’re on maternity leave. So, depending on what you’ve agreed with your employer, you can use this accrued holiday to support a phased return while still being paid in full.

Once you’re officially back at work, you’re no longer on maternity leave, which means you’re only paid for hours worked unless you use your holiday entitlement to top this up.

Example:

Contracted hours: 40 per week

Accrued holiday hours available: 48

• Week 1: 16 hours work + 24 hours holiday/unpaid

• Week 2: 24 hours work + 16 hours holiday/unpaid

• Week 3: 32 hours work + 8 hours holiday/unpaid

• Week 4: Full hours

  
  

You could also choose:

• Half-days,

• Shorter weeks,

• or to use all 48 hours at once (a week + one day of paid leave)

  
  

It’s about what feels right for you and your circumstances.

A phased return is definitely worth considering if you’re feeling anxious or worried about going “all in” from day one.

Important: If you return to work and decide to reduce your hours, any holiday you accrued while on maternity leave is based on your full-time contract, not your reduced hours.(This can be financially helpful; make sure you understand how this works.)

Breastfeeding and Returning to Work

If you’re returning to work and continuing your breastfeeding journey, it’s important to know that you have rights - and your employer has duties.

By law, employers must provide you with a suitable place to express milk.

This should be:

• Private

• Clean

• Lockable

• Sanitary

  
  

A toilet cubicle is not acceptable.

It’s uncomfortable, unhygienic, and not a reasonable place to express.

Even though there’s currently no specific law requiring dedicated breastfeeding facilities, employers still have legal duties under:

• Health and Safety Regulations

• The Equality Act 2010

  
  

In order to protect you properly and prevent discrimination.

Once you tell your employer in writing that you’re breastfeeding or expressing, they should:

• Review your risk assessment to ensure your role and environment are safe

• Provide a private, clean room (not a toilet) where you can express in peace

• Allow reasonable breaks to express or feed

• Offer somewhere safe to store milk, such as a fridge or cool space

  
  

If your employer refuses to support you or treats you unfairly because you’re expressing milk, this can be considered sex discrimination under the Equality Act 2010.

If they truly cannot provide a suitable space, your employer should:

• Adjust your working conditions, or

• Suspend you on full pay until they can make reasonable arrangements

  
  

You also shouldn’t feel awkward asking for this - it’s completely normal and valid. Many women continue breastfeeding beyond returning to work, and you’re entitled to the support you need to do that safely.

The cuddles we all miss when work begins again.

You’re Not Alone - When Things Don’t Go to Plan

Let’s be honest: this transition can feel messy/ scary/ uncertain.

You might expect to come back feeling brilliant, and instead feel anxious, overwhelmed, or like you don’t quite fit anymore.

That’s okay, and you’re not alone.

As a starting point, remember:

• Legally, you should return to the same job you had before maternity leave. (within 26 weeks)

• (After 26 weeks) If that’s genuinely not reasonably practicable, your employer must offer a similar role on the same terms and conditions (salary, seniority, benefits, location).

  
  

If you feel you’re being treated unfairly, for example:

• Demoted

• Side-lined

• Excluded from projects or meetings

• Having responsibilities removed without reason

  
  

…this could amount to maternity discrimination or unfair dismissal under UK law.

And you do not have to sit quietly and tolerate it.

If something doesn’t feel right, you can:

• Ask for decisions to be confirmed in writing

• Request a meeting with HR

• Take your own notes at every meeting

• Get support early rather than later

  
  

Even if you’re not sure whether it’s discrimination, trust your gut and seek advice.

Where to get support

You don’t have to figure this out alone.

ACAS - Free, confidential advice and guidance on workplace rights. https://www.acas.org.uk

Citizens Advice - Clear explanations and next steps if something feels unfair. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk

Maternity Action - Specialist support for pregnancy and maternity discrimination. https://maternityaction.org.uk

CIPD - Best practice guidance for how employers should be handling this.https://www.cipd.org

Wrap-Up & Next Steps

Returning after maternity leave doesn’t have to be about just surviving.

It can be the start of a refreshed chapter - where you bring new skills, perspective, and resilience into your career.

Here’s what to do next:

• Write down 2–3 things you’d like your return to look like (hours, environment, responsibilities)

• Speak to your manager/HR early about your return plan (KIT days, phased return, breastfeeding support)

• Submit a formal flexible working request if you need changes and explain how it benefits the business as well as you

And finally, remember this:

You don’t need to figure this out on your own.

If something feels off, get advice, get support, and use the rights available to you.

You’ve already done one of the hardest things in life: you’ve grown and raised a tiny human. You’re coming back with more strength, perspective, and value than you realise.

Let’s make this return work for you.

If you’re returning from maternity leave and want support navigating the wobble, building confidence, or making work actually work for you, you don’t have to do it alone.

This is exactly the kind of thing I help women with personalised 121 coaching. 

Book a free discovery call and let’s make this return one you feel good about.

Maternity leave memories - they go fast.