Organizational Wellness Starts with Supporting Mothers Returning from Maternity Leave
When organizations talk about wellness, they often focus on surface-level perks: yoga classes, meditation apps, or mental health days. But one of the most overlooked — and most critical — components of workplace wellness is how we treat employees during major life transitions. One of the most vulnerable and transformative of those is motherhood.
For many working mothers, the return to work after maternity leave is not just difficult — it’s distressing. With most maternity leave policies offering a maximum of 12 to 16 weeks (and some offering much less), new mothers are expected to re-enter the workplace while they are still physically healing, emotionally adjusting, and caring for an infant who depends on them day and night.
When organizations require a new mother’s full presence and productivity, regardless of her readiness, they are not only putting that individual employee at risk — they’re harming the emotional and relational fabric of the entire team.
The Pressure Behind the Scenes
While leadership and HR may see maternity leave as a brief pause, the reality for many women is much more complicated. Beyond the logistical challenges of returning to work, new mothers often face subtle (or not-so-subtle) pressure from peers — especially from other women in the workplace.
Comments like:
“I was back in the office after 8 weeks — and I managed just fine.”
“She’s lucky to get four months off.”
“We’ve all done it — it’s just part of being a working mom.”
These may be intended as encouragement, but they often reinforce an unspoken message: Struggling is weakness. Needing support is unprofessional. This dynamic not only isolates the returning mother, but it also erodes psychological safety across the organization.
The Organizational Cost of Ignoring This Transition
When companies fail to offer adequate reintegration support for new mothers, it sends a clear message: Your wellbeing is less important than your output. This has real consequences for organizational health, including:
Increased absenteeism and presenteeism (being physically present but mentally and emotionally exhausted)
Higher rates of burnout, especially among working parents
Reduced employee engagement and morale
Loss of top talent, particularly women in leadership or high-potential roles
Damaged team dynamics due to miscommunication, assumptions, and resentment
When we overlook the human experience behind maternity leave, we create environments that reward silence and penalize authenticity — the opposite of a truly healthy workplace.
Organizational Wellness Requires Human-Centered Policies
A sustainable, wellness-focused workplace doesn’t begin with wellness programs — it begins with empathy in policy and practice. Supporting employees through life transitions, especially the transition into parenthood, is one of the most strategic and compassionate investments a company can make.
Here’s what that could look like:
Phased return-to-work plans to ease the transition
Peer mentorship or employee resource groups for new parents
Leadership training on maternal mental health, emotional labor, and bias awareness
Clear communication and boundaries that normalize flexibility, not penalize it
Inclusive policies that consider the needs of all caregivers, not just birthing parents
Supporting new mothers is not just the "right" thing to do — it's a business decision that reflects whether an organization truly values its people. When mothers are supported, they thrive. When they thrive, so do their teams. And when teams thrive, organizations flourish.
It’s time to move beyond checkboxes and perks, and start seeing wellness for what it really is: a culture of care, trust, and humanity.
By: Marylin M. Beckley, PhD, LPC, NCC