Returning from Parental Leave: The First Months Back

After taking 4 months of shared parental leave, Technical Director Simon Johnson reflects on what supported his return to work, and what made it genuinely difficult. He talks about the importance of colleagues stepping back (not checking in), the reality of juggling a newborn with work responsibilities, and why he made the choice to step back from management responsibilities. For prospective parents considering Mott MacDonald, he's honest about both the flexibility the company offered and the trade-offs involved in balancing a new family with a demanding role.

How did Mott MacDonald support you during your parental leave?

In the run up to my shared parental leave my colleagues were amazing in taking on and sharing out my workload. I took over 4 months off so everything had to be completely picked up by someone else. They also gave me a very generous gift to start my time away, and my new family life! While I was away they gave me the most important thing – completely switching off from work. No one contacted me asking for help or a reminder of something. I think the best thing they did was leave me alone! Later on in my leave I had a few Keeping in Touch days which were great to understand what I would be coming back to.

What was your experience like transitioning back to work?

Very hard. Learning to look after a newborn (this was our first baby) was challenging, but as I was fortunate to take a long period of shared parental leave I didn’t immediately have to balance work and baby. Once I went back to work the juggle was real! Its not just lack of sleep, it’s the racing home to help, no more starting early or working late to get things done, and the guilt of being away from home. I took a lot of annual leave in those first few months back which helped to adjust. Working from home a bit more than normal also helped too.

Were there any policies or initiatives that made the return easier for you?

Understanding and flexibility from my colleagues and line manager as I found my feet with a new normal was key.

How have you found balancing work and family since coming back? Everything needs much more planning! Where am I working this week? Who is doing drop off/pick-up? Who is working late or going out? The juggle need much more planning. That also means last minutes changes are much more difficult. I can’t stay late because something needs finishing, or go out for drinks after work. As a result I have often had to work a bit extra in the evenings to catch up once my son is asleep – not ideal. One important change I made upon coming back to work was to step back from some of my management responsibilities. I saw this as key to managing my work/life balance over this stage in my family life. I believe its important in life, and over a long career, to actively choose when you want to prioritise work - doing overtime and pushing for that promotion, and when to prioritise family – getting the work done but going home on time and switching off from work. Right now I am prioritising family.

What advice would you give to others preparing for or returning from parental leave?

Since I took my shared parental leave Motts have enhanced the offering, especially for men, and now give up to 24 weeks on full pay. Each family will make their own decision how to split that parental leave, but I would encourage all prospective dads to take as much as possible, especially where companies are offering that parental pay top-up equally. That time to adjust and to bond is so important and cannot be repeated. When retuning, especially from a long leave period, the key for me is to be realistic about expectations and take that time to think about your priorities. And setup a good shared calendar!