{"id":816,"date":"2026-04-07T10:59:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T09:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staff.nhslothian.scot\/maternitysupport\/?page_id=816"},"modified":"2026-04-07T11:00:26","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T10:00:26","slug":"returning-from-leave","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/staff.nhslothian.scot\/maternitysupport\/returning-from-leave\/","title":{"rendered":"Returning from leave"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">For employees<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Talk to your manager early about your return \u2014 including things like childcare, reduction in hours, and support needs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It\u2019s okay if you don\u2019t feel 100% confident right away \u2014 many people feel this way.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ask about flexible working if it would help.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you are continuing to breastfeed, your line manager should give you information about breastfeeding facilities and allow breaks for expressing and rest. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Think about using any unused leave for a phased return to ease back into work.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Connect with support groups or other parents at work \u2014 you&#8217;re not alone.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Consider seeking coaching or peer mentoring support on your return to work. Medics can find information on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.scot.nhs.uk\/wellbeing\/peer-mentoring\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MED Peer Mentoring page<\/a>, and non-medics can find information on the <a href=\"http:\/\/intranet.lothian.scot.nhs.uk\/HR\/LTC\/OrganisationalDevelopment\/coaching_and_mentoring\/Pages\/default.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">OD Coaching and Mentoring intranet page<\/a>. The Women&#8217;s Network is working on a peer mentoring programme similar to the MED programme to provide additional support for non-medics returning from maternity leave.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Don\u2019t be hard on yourself.&nbsp; Returning to work can be a scary experience and it will take time to adjust being back at work and balancing work and home. If you need support, you can find in-house resources on our <a href=\"https:\/\/staff.nhslothian.scot\/maternitysupport\/support\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Support page<\/a> or get external support from <a href=\"https:\/\/inspiringscotland.org.uk\/fund\/perinatal-and-infant-mental-health\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Perinatal and Infant Mental Health fund<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.parentclub.scot\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Parent Club<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/staff.nhslothian.scot\/maternitysupport\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/10\/Staff-members-Checklist-Returning-from-leave.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Returning from leave checklist for staff<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">For managers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If not done during leave, ensure your team member&#8217;s return date has been updated in eESS.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Make time for a proper return conversation on your team member\u2019s 1<sup>st<\/sup> day back \u2014 ask what support they need. If you can\u2019t be there on their 1<sup>st<\/sup> day, ask another colleague to meet them.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Introduce the returning team member to new members of staff and ensure they know where to sit, who to report to, and any other changes to the working environment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Discuss any significant updates that have happened in their absence and share key documentation to help familiarise them with any changes to processes and procedures.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Offer flexibility where possible and be open to adjustments.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Complete any necessary risk assessments e.g. around breastfeeding.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tell your employees where any breastfeeding rooms are and allow them time to express and rest. Room information, including milk storage, should be available through your local Work Well Facilitator.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Be patient \u2014 returning to work isn\u2019t easy and it can take time to settle back in. Be considerate that the employee is adjusting to a new pattern, being back at work with potentially disrupted sleep.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ensure your team member knows the process to be followed in the case of children&#8217;s illness or injury &#8211; how to report this and how it will be recorded.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ensure your team member is familiar with the parental leave policy and their entitlement to leave.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Celebrate their return and help them feel valued and included.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/staff.nhslothian.scot\/maternitysupport\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/10\/Managers-Checklist-Returning-from-leave.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Returning from leave checklist for managers<\/a><a id=\"_msocom_1\"><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For employees Returning from leave checklist for staff For managers Returning from leave checklist for managers<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_searchwp_excluded":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"class_list":["post-816","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-06 08:24:57","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"rttpg_featured_image_url":null,"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"scottsamson","author_link":"https:\/\/staff.nhslothian.scot\/maternitysupport\/blog\/author\/scottsamson\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":false,"rttpg_excerpt":"For employees Returning from leave checklist for staff For managers Returning from leave checklist for managers","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staff.nhslothian.scot\/maternitysupport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/816","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staff.nhslothian.scot\/maternitysupport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staff.nhslothian.scot\/maternitysupport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staff.nhslothian.scot\/maternitysupport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staff.nhslothian.scot\/maternitysupport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=816"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/staff.nhslothian.scot\/maternitysupport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/816\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1059,"href":"https:\/\/staff.nhslothian.scot\/maternitysupport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/816\/revisions\/1059"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staff.nhslothian.scot\/maternitysupport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=816"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staff.nhslothian.scot\/maternitysupport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=816"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}