THEL return to work after maternity leave it is, for most women, a feat. For those who felt comfortable sitting at their desk as employees, who also have to reclaim their former existence under different conditions. For those who had a hyper dynamic and intense profession, or on shifts or onerous work, in fact hardly reconcilable with the routine of a mother. And especially for those to whom motherhood has the scale of priorities has changed so much to motivate them to change everything, a change your life. So what to do?
“The first step is to focus on what you want.” Word of Taryn DiVenturamother and ex-employee of luxury multinationals who, after having focused precisely on what she wanted, opened the site And Instagram page A job for moms. Goal, give support to new mothers in work crisis.
Those who have to go back to work after maternity leave, those who want to look for a new job, those who want to open their own business and those who don’t know where to start to change their lives. «Time spent with children and the experience of motherhood itself leads to questioned the scale of values and priorities: one wonders what is lost by working too much. You rediscover your personal life. But in most cases, compensation is possible», assures the expert. Here is his below “Game of the working mother’s goose: whoever arrives in the evening wins“and its invaluable tips.
Return to work after maternity leave. Employees
First of all, there is some psychological work to be done. “First of all, you have to convince yourself that you are not a second-class worker as mothers. “On the contrary. Many researches have shown that after having a child a woman acquires many soft skills very useful professionally”. We must therefore not doubt that we are a person deserving of growth just because we have a child. Of course, to present yourself well, you need to have achieved an excellent personal balance. And those who have this inner serenity know how to keep their emotional sphere to themselves. «The company is not a big family: in a working context, emotional issues concerning children must not enter. Rights are one thing, the constant search for help is another.
First of all, therefore, it is necessary to inform yourself well about your own rights: «on what every company must guarantee, come on permits for breastfeeding to those for the illness of the child. A chat with one’s manager, clarifying the new needs, could therefore be enough to get a job for mom». Explains the expert.
«In general, most mothers don’t ask their employer for much: a minimum of flexibility on entry and exit and the possibility of some extra leave, for example for enrollment in nursery school. Companies are starting to tune into these little ones parenting support» assures Taryn. Obviously: there is also an advantage for the employer: employees who are satisfied with their lives are employees who are loyal to the company.
And, obviously this too, the company may not necessarily offer the support that the mother would like. It can happen at working mothers to be demoted by their employer upon returning to the office: seriously discriminatory behavior (also according to the Court of Cassation which with a sentence of 15 July 2021 sentenced the company that demoted the new mother to compensate the damage).
Don’t be impulsive: what is the goal?
Facing difficulties many new mothers act on impulse and, thanks to the possibility of obtaining Naspi, voluntarily resign in the first year of the child’s life without even having tried to improve the situation in the company. “Often this move turns out to be wrong: it ‘works’ only if the short- and long-term objectives are clarified first.”
Another employee post: the resume on LinkedIn
If you always want to look for work as an employee, clarify yourself first what he absolutely wants and what he can give up. «Same Ral but more flexibility even at the cost of working on the computer at night? Less commuting but more office work?».
A key step is theprofile optimization on LinkedIn, in order to enhance the experiences gained and focus on the strengths within one’s curriculum. «You must always look for a job with an eye on the ball: even during interviews. If the examiner scrutinizes the CV and asks about the maternity leave, he is offering the candidate an element of evaluation on the company. It’s up to you to take that into consideration or not.”
In this case, Naspi can be an opportunity to reinvent yourself through a training course, “there are so many suitable for new mothers”, and look for a new job as an employee. Or you may choose to use your time and benefit money to put a plan to good use and “be daring” by opening your own business.
Taryn Di Ventura, creator of the site “A job for moms”
Return to work after maternity leave? I want my own business
In the event that the idea is to open a VAT number, before disengaging from the old job it is advisable to make some primarily tax assessments: what times are needed? Then you need to have a business model, to be created by yourself or with the support of other professionals. Almost never those who have a good idea also have all the skills needed to put it into practice. you have to do afeasibility analysis and a cost plan serious.
Also in this case, a little psychological work is essential: «Many new mothers consider the Freelance work is the panacea for all ills. And yet many of them are just not cut out for it. Part-time or smart-working may be more suitable for them. Being freelance means having a whole series of pressures which, for those who aren’t cut out for it, transform the VAT number into a cage, worse than employee work».
The best sellers of the “job change”. Dreams or good ideas?
The dream of a freelance job is often accompanied by ideas born by chance: «There are many mothers who, having found a lack of services for their target, propose to create them on the spot». From home nurseries to playrooms, childcare services are a recurring dream. But often embarking on the realization is a mistake: «The starting point for opening a successful business is an analysis of one’s own skills. If you can decline them in the direction of dreams, all the better», explains the expert. Otherwise, maybe it’s worth thinking about it a little longer.
I want to change my profession to change my life
There are even new mothers who live one deeper crisiswhich perhaps takes the form of a postpartum depression, of a burnout. In this case, job dissatisfaction is just the tip of the iceberg. «Those who experience the return to work after maternity leave with anguish and want to escape from their lives because is experiencing psychological distress is not ready to find or change jobs: he would not reach his goal», warns Di Ventura. To do this you need determination, lucidity and serenity. «I collaborate with various psychologists precisely to create awareness of these situations as well: only once the crisis has been resolved can one go back to talking about the profession».
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