Making it Work! How to Effectively Navigate Maternity Leave Career Transitions: An Employee’s Guide

Making It Work! How to Effectively Navigate Maternity Leave Career Transitions: An Employee’s Guide was developed for women taking a maternity leave, which is inclusive of maternity, parental and adoption leave, and equally applicable to women who are experiencing their first or subsequent maternity leave career transition. This user-friendly resource is meant to be a self-directed tool that you use to tailor specific strategies to your career needs. It will empower you to be an active agent in your career development, setting yourself up for success.

Women make up approximately 50% of Canada’s labour force and account for 58% of post-secondary graduates. Of the working women who do become mothers, 90% will take a maternity leave. However, 36% of new mothers feel that taking maternity leave negatively impacts their opportunity for promotions, career development and career progression. The information in this guide serves as a starting point to develop positive career management practices not only in navigating your maternity leave, but with other career decisions in the future.

The guide covers:

• The business case: Knowing how to communicate your value in the workplace
• Understanding your career style and changes in work/home life
• Before, during and after maternity leave (e.g., exit interviews, comeback coaching, combatting “imposter syndrome”)
• Strategic return-to-work plans, including seeking mentorship or sponsorship
• Customizing career plans with flexible work options (telework, job-sharing, mompreneurs)

Written by a team of workplace psychologists and career development experts at Canada Career Counselling and published by CERIC, the goal of this guidebook, along with the employer version (Making It Work! How to Effectively Manage Maternity Leave Career Transitions: An Employer’s Guide) is to help working mothers and organizations to collaboratively realize their full potential.