From nursery rhymes to boardrooms: Rethinking the return-to-work transition

Written by Georgie Partridge (pictured) from Performing Perfectly

Over the past few years, I’ve become increasingly aware of how returning to work as a woman, whether after maternity leave or any kind of caregiving, is talked about versus how it actually feels. It’s often positioned as a practical shift… but in reality it’s identity, confidence, energy, grief, ambition, guilt - all tangled up together.

We have introduced 'Her Edit' to untangle this - a new one-day retreat designed to support women returning to work after maternity leave or caregiving breaks.

Drawing on personal experience and professional insight from Performing Perfectly, it explores the often-overlooked emotional and professional challenges of this transition, the impact on confidence and identity, and the wider retention issues facing organisations. It also calls on businesses to move beyond tick-box support and take a more practical, human approach to helping women re-enter the workplace with clarity, confidence, and impact.

Why a new initiative?

This didn’t come from a neat business plan, it came from a bit of a breaking point if I’m honest…standing breastfeeding and rocking my 5 month old in my friends lounge whilst she quite literally was lying on the floor manically “shhh’ing” her 6 month old to sleep.

For me, there was a moment that I can’t really shake. I had a miscarriage, followed by two operations to remove "the remains", and despite all of that, I still felt this pull to be “on.” To be the same version of myself for my toddler, my husband and my workplace which I love. I remember being on a work call the day after returning from hospital.

My boss (also my brother in law) was kind, appalled I’d even considered working and told me to go to bed - but I didn’t. Not because anyone expected me to show up, but because I felt like if I didn’t, I’d somehow fall behind or be forgotten.

It sounds ridiculous when you say it out loud, but I don’t think it’s unusual.

And that’s the bit I’ve had enough of - this idea that we just quietly absorb these moments and carry on, ticking the box of “supported,” when actually most women are anything but.

That’s where Her Edit came from. It’s a one-day retreat for women returning to work. It’s a space to stop, properly, and choose yourself. Maybe for the first time in a long time, without apology.

There’s also a very real professional gap that no one really talks about. One day you’re singing nursery rhymes in a village hall, and the next you’re expected to walk into a boardroom, pitch to clients, or lead a team like nothing’s changed. For high-performing women, that transition is huge and completely under-supported.

Our company, Performing Perfectly, have spent 10 years in learning and development, so this isn’t just a “nice day out.” It’s proper, practical work around communication, impact, and presence - almost like CPD, but designed for this very specific (and often overlooked) life stage and transition.

I’m lucky - I work with my family, so my support system is literally built in. But so many of my friends aren’t in that position. They’re in corporate environments trying to hold everything together, and I’m seeing burnout, anxiety, and really brilliant women quietly stepping away because it’s just too much.

UK workforce data shows that nearly one in three women consider leaving their job within a year of returning from maternity leave, highlighting a significant and often preventable retention challenge for employers.

This is for them.

But it’s also for organisations because so many talk about supporting women, yet it still feels like a tick-box exercise. And I’ve just had enough of that. If companies genuinely want to retain women, especially high performers, there has to be more honest, human, and practical support in place.

We’re currently running a pilot of Her Edit and are already seeing strong interest from organisations who recognise that retention, wellbeing and performance are directly linked to how we support women at this transition point. But more importantly, we don’t want this to be something designed in isolation or shaped by assumptions about what women need.

We want it shaped by lived experience, real conversations, and honest feedback from women going through it right now.

If you’re a business looking to better support returning talent, or a woman navigating this transition yourself, we’d love you to be part of shaping what comes next. This is an opportunity to move beyond intention and into something practical, meaningful, and measurable - something that actually makes a difference to how women return, stay, and thrive at work.

All we need now is for the women to choose themselves...and sign up!