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If you are working from home, are you able to have touch points with your children during the day (like eating dinner together) and pick up work once your children are in bed? Have an open dialogue with your manager about this. 3. Schedule one to one catch ups with members of your team, including those who you would have otherwise organically caught up with over making a cup of tea in the office. 4. Seek out a maternity mentor within your organisation. Find out what has worked for her, and what hasn't worked – whether in terms of juggling responsibilities at home, childcare arrangements or business development strategies. These conversations are invaluable. 5. Get involved with parenting groups at work - and if there aren't any, set one up. It is so helpful to speak to likeminded people facing similar challenges. 6. Pick up where you left off with your career and step up to new opportunities presented by the remote working environment, whether that be participating in a virtual panel discussion or attending evening networking events virtually after putting the children to bed. 7. Seek support if you need it. Organisations are becoming increasingly aware that if they want to meet their gender diversity targets, women may need extra support around maternity leave and returning to work. If the support is being offered, take it.
LW recommends Podcast: Lady Hale talks to Sally Penni, barrister and founder of Women in Law UK ■ Talking Law with Sally Penni: Lady Hale (libsyn.com) Baroness Hale of Richmond’s illustrious career includes becoming Britain’s first female Law Lord, the first woman to serve on the UK Supreme Court and its first woman President. In this episode of Talking Law Lady Hale discusses the very high-profile case of the Proroguing of Parliament in 2019, how it feels to be an icon, and even her trademark spider broaches.
Top tips for employers and managers 1. Build a culture that perceives maternity leave as a 'brief interlude' in a woman's career, as opposed to a 'major disruption'.1 2. Don’t make assumptions about what returners can or can't do. Foster an ongoing dialogue between the returner and the manager which begins before leave (for example discussing how the organisation will keep in touch during leave) and continues for several months following her return. 3. Have a clear 'on boarding' plan for returners; including thinking about what work they can get involved with upon their return (both client facing and any roles that naturally integrate returners to the activities of the team), supporting them to get up to speed with developments in their practice area and having open discussions about career development. 4. Acknowledge the skills your employees have gained whilst on maternity leave; great perspective, time management skills and life experience. 5. Be open-minded about the ways in which agile working, or a flexible working arrangement could prove beneficial for both your organisation and the returner. If 2020 has shown us anything, it is that these arrangements can be incredibly effective with significant benefits for both sides. 6. Many organisations do not have the budget but consider putting in place maternity coaching for returners. 7. Ask about their children! Or talk about your children. Being a working parent is common, and those of us who have done it have had to learn how to make the juggle work. Talking about how we make that juggle work and normalising the changes that are required once you have children makes the process less daunting and more manageable for everyone. ■ 1. DCU Business School research report (https://business. dcu.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/DCU-HR-SearchMaternity-Leave-Research-Final-Version.pdf).
Nature / History ■ Blair Castle (digitalvisions.uk) There’s a virtual tour of the stunning Blair Castle and grounds in Pitlochry PH18 5TL which you can enjoy from your sofa. The tour enables you to go inside the hall, stairs and some rooms. You can read about its history here: History of the castle – Blair Castle (blair-castle.co.uk) Books ■ Those Who Are Loved by Victoria Hislop (goodreads.com) ■ The Mirror & the Light (Thomas Cromwell, #3) by Hilary Mantel (goodreads.com) Streaming Films ■ Misbehaviour (2019) Misbehaviour review: Miss World drama fails to keep its feminism intersectional | The Independent | The Independent The film is based on the true events from the 1970 Miss World contest in the Royal Albert Hall. A group of women plan to disrupt the event with long lasting impact. Music / Art ■ The Metropolitan Opera on Demand: Fantastic reviews of Philip Glass’s Akhnaten (and Egyptian Pharaoh who attempts to change society) Met Opera on Demand. ■ Cocktails at the Frick Museum: short talks about individual paintings and a suggested drink! Cocktails with a Curator | The Frick Collection
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