Employee Experience After Maternity Leave: Why Belonging Matters as Much as Policy

She wasn’t worried about the job. It was her first day back, and everything felt slightly unfamiliar, even the things that used to be automatic. The alarm went off earlier than it had in months, the house felt quieter in a different way, and as she packed her bag, she noticed a heaviness that had nothing to do with her laptop.

When she arrived, she paused outside the office door for just a moment longer than necessary. Her hand rested on the handle, her heart beating a little faster, not because she doubted her ability to do the work, but because she didn’t know how it would feel to walk back in.

She wondered if people would still sit with her at lunch, if conversations had moved on, if inside jokes had formed without her, if she would have to laugh along without quite understanding. She wondered whether she still fit in the same way she once had.

Returning to work after maternity leave is one of the most emotionally complex transitions in a person’s career. While organisations often focus on flexible working arrangements, workload and childcare logistics, far less attention is given to the social and psychological experience of coming back - particularly the loss of connection, confidence and belonging that many parents quietly experience.

And what she was feeling, standing outside that door, is far more common than we tend to admit.

Research shows that 89% of parents feel anxious about returning to work, while only a small minority of mothers report feeling confident walking back in. More than half describe their return as a negative experience, not because they cannot do the job, but because of how it feels to come back.

We talk a lot about policies. But we don’t talk enough about people.

Because while she was away, the work could wait, but the relationships didn’t. They evolved, shifted, deepened in small ways. New people joined, dynamics changed, moments were shared. And when she returned, she wasn’t just catching up on emails or projects, she was trying to find her place again within something that had subtly moved on.

Academic research describes the return to work after maternity leave as a critical period, one that can shape confidence, connection and long-term career decisions. When this transition feels isolating, the impact often shows up later in disengagement, reduced ambition or even decisions to leave altogether.

A few days before she returned, something unexpected happened. An email landed in her inbox with a simple subject line: “Before you come back…”

Inside was a Thankbox.

She opened it slowly, not quite knowing what to expect, and found herself scrolling through messages that felt warm, real and deeply human.

There were photos from team lunches she had missed, snapshots of birthdays and everyday moments that had happened while she was away. Someone wrote, “We’ve saved your seat, don’t worry.” Another said, “You’ve missed a lot… but mostly we’ve missed you.” Someone else added, “It would have been better with you there.”

It wasn’t formal or polished, but together it created something powerful. It showed her that even though she hadn’t been physically present, she had not been forgotten, and more importantly, she still had a place.

When she walked back into the office a few days later, things were still different. The rhythm had changed, some faces were new, and there were still moments where she felt slightly out of step.

But it no longer felt like she was entering a space that had moved on without her. Instead, it felt like she was returning to something that had been gently holding her place all along.

Why returning to work after maternity leave feels so hard

Returning to work after maternity leave is not simply a logistical transition, it is an emotional one. It involves a shift in identity, a rebuilding of confidence and a re-entry into social dynamics that have evolved in your absence.

Many parents experience a sense of disconnection when they return, not because they are no longer capable, but because they are no longer fully embedded in the day-to-day social fabric of the team. Conversations have moved on, relationships have subtly changed and there is often an unspoken pressure to “slot back in” quickly, even when that doesn’t feel natural.

This is where social anxiety often appears, quietly but persistently, making the experience of returning feel far heavier than it needs to be.

The long-term impact of this moment is significant. In the UK, many mothers change their working patterns or leave roles altogether after having children, often not because of a lack of ambition, but because the return-to-work experience did not feel supportive or connected.

How to support employees returning from maternity leave

The good news is that supporting employees returning from maternity leave does not require complex programmes or large budgets. What it requires is intention and an understanding that belonging does not automatically rebuild itself.

Organisations can make a meaningful difference by helping people reconnect socially before they return, not just professionally. Sharing team updates, small moments and changes in a human way can help bridge the gap and reduce the feeling of stepping into the unknown.

Creating space for collective appreciation also plays a powerful role. When messages come from the whole team rather than just a manager, it reinforces a sense of belonging much more effectively and helps rebuild connection faster.

It is equally important to acknowledge the emotional reality of returning. Simply recognising that this transition can feel strange or overwhelming can go a long way in helping someone feel seen and supported.

Tools like group appreciation cards or shared digital spaces, such as a Thankbox, can make this easy by giving teams a simple way to reconnect someone with the moments they missed and remind them that they are still part of the story.

Because in the end, the question isn’t whether someone can return to their role. The question is whether they feel like they are returning to a place where they still belong. And sometimes, the difference between someone settling back in and someone slowly stepping away… is simply how it felt to walk back into the room.

Images: Cover | Women Planning Together at Work | Women Working on Laptop | Working Mother Cuddling Baby