Return-to-work experiences of female employees following maternity leave

• Author: Heinrich Brand,Judite Barreiro-Lucas
• Date: 01 January 2014
• Published date: 01 January 2014
• Pages: 69-92
• DOI: 10.10520/EJC152808

South African Journal of Labour Relations: Vol 38 No 1 2014 69

Return-to-work experiences of female

employees following maternity leave

by Heinrich Brand and

Judite Barreiro-Lucas*

Abstract

Corporate culture seemingly does not encourage talented women to return to the

workplace or continue to operate effectively in the workplace, while managing

their domestic responsibilities. This has a direct influence on the progression of

talented women to senior positions and their retention in those positions

(Baggallay 2011).

While the above statement may be a narrow view, considering shifts in many

companies' policies which aim to support work-family balance, there are still many

underlying concerns regarding working mothers.

The primary purpose of this study is to identify common themes arising from the

return-to-work experiences of female employees following maternity leave in

South Africa.

The results of this study revealed that despite viewing work positively, the

participants in the study found the re turn-to-work experience after childbirth

difficult. A significant change in the attitudes of the participants towards their

careers after childbirth was also identified. This change is not necessarily negative

and should not be interpreted as an indication of loss of interest by the employees

in their careers. It does, however, highlight the need for adequate management of

the whole process from “workplace pregnancy” to return to work o f female

employees.

Employers open to the evolution of best practice for mate rnity leave will attract

and retain high-calibre female talent.

Key words: work experience, female employee, maternity leave

1 Introduction

Belkin (2003) mentions that many women never get near the glass ceiling, because

they are stopped long before by the materna l wall.

In previous decad es, the most topical of all female workplace issues was that of “the

glass ceiling” and the unwritten rules established by a male-dominated environment,

which largely prohibited or limited women’s membership of the “men only” executive

lounge. With a shift towards workplace equality , th e burning issue for our generation

has less to do with the challenges facing women and more to with the challenges facing

mothers.

* Prof HE Brand and Ms J Barreiro-Lucas are attached to the Department of Human Resource

Management, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, University of Pretoria.

70 South African Journal of Labour Relations: Vol 38 No 1 2014

With workplace equality comes a shift in the social panorama, as woman are faced

with questions such as: When is the least disruptive time to have children (if at all)?

How soon do I return to work and will this affect my child’s development?, and How do I

maintain the balance between pursuing a successful career and meeting maternal/

family obligations?

Even though research on career women, women in positions of leadership, multiple

roles, coping strategies and mechanisms and role conflict has gained more prominence

(Booysen 20 00; Brink & De la Rey 2001), there are still major misconceptions

pertaining to mothers in the workplace. The influence of these misconceptions is

evident from the number of companies reducing their expectations of hiring working

mothers. In South Africa companies have reduced this expectation since 2010 (Regus

2011).

This study intends to shed light on the issues facing South African working mothers

returning to the workplace after the birth of their first child and aims to identify relevant

trends by tracking the in dividual factors which influence a mother’s choice to return to

work, the ideal length of maternity leave, the level of support from their employer and

the way cultural nuances within the South African context define the experience.

The cost of losing a competent, skilled employee is always high and pregnancy is

recognised as a time when a woman may reevaluate her career options (Regus 2011).

Previous research indicates that despite strengthened legislation and in some cases

enhanced organisational benefits, one in three women find it difficult or very difficult to

return to work after m aternity leave for various reasons (Morris 2008). These reasons

include: concerns about childcare, missing their child, their child’s missing them,

financial issues, concerns about their ability to balance work-family rela tionships,

attitude of supervisor and other employees upon return, and ability to perform optimally

in both roles.

From an organisational point of view, one of the most damaging stereotypes is the

belief that the pregnant employee is no longer committed to her job and m ay not return

to work after childbirth (Halpert, Wilson & Hickman 1993). These beliefs are not limited

to lower lev el employees. Hughes (1991:B1) notes that: “the biggest fear among many

employers is that a once assertive woman executive will ease up on the job, then take

paid maternity leave and never return”. Such stereotypesare are harmful to the extent

that managers and superviso rs act on them as though they represent the norm, leading

to possible unfair discrimination against women who do not fit the stereotype.

In S outh A frica, wo men make up 51% of the population and 45% of the workforce

(Baggallay 2011). Nearly 80% of South African women between the ages of 20 and 50

are mothers (Baggallay 2011).

Given these numbers, it is surprising that there is not more research regarding

pregnant employees. There is an increasing need for organisations to bette r

understand and accommodate the way professional women integrate motherhood and

career breaks into their working lives. These career breaks (such as maternity leave)

will need to be accommodated in order to make maximum use of the investment in the

training and development of female employees (Gerber 2000).

Although women make up the majority of the global and South African workforce,

when one looks at statistics of women in senior management, the numbers are not

representative (Regus 2011). Corporate culture does not allow talented women to

return to the workplace or continu e to operate effectively in the wo rkplace, while

managing their domestic responsibilities and this is directly influencing the progression