Your Company Has a Parental Leave Policy. But Does It Have a Return-to-Work Strategy?

For many organisations, supporting employees through parenthood begins and ends with a parental leave policy. Employees receive their entitled leave, HR manages the documentation, and a return date is agreed upon. But what happens when the employee actually returns?

Returning to work after maternity or parental leave is a significant transition. Employees must adjust to professional responsibilities while managing new childcare arrangements, changing routines and the emotional demands of parenthood.

For HR leaders, this presents an important question: Does your organisation have a strategy to help employees return to work, or does its responsibility end when parental leave does?

A well-planned return-to-work strategy can make a meaningful difference to employee retention, workplace inclusion and long-term talent management.

Why Parental Leave Alone Is Not Enough

India's Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 provides eligible women with up to 26 weeks of paid maternity leave for the first two surviving children. It also introduced provisions for work from home by mutual agreement, where the nature of work permits, and mandatory crèche facilities for establishments with 50 or more employees.

These provisions establish an important foundation for supporting working mothers. However, legal compliance and employee experience are two different things.

According to a NITI Aayog compendium on gender parity at the workplace (2025), return-to-work rates after parental leave were reported to be as high as 99.2% at Infosys. However, long-term retention after returning was typically reported in the range of 64%–74%.

This highlights an important distinction: getting employees back to work does not necessarily mean retaining them.

Organisations must therefore look beyond leave entitlements and address the challenges employees face after returning.

What Makes Returning to Work Difficult?

For new parents, returning to the workplace involves more than resuming professional responsibilities. Some common challenges include:

• Childcare arrangements: Finding reliable, safe and accessible childcare can be a major concern, particularly for parents without family support nearby.

• Work-life balance: Managing professional commitments alongside feeding schedules, childcare and household responsibilities can become overwhelming.

• Separation anxiety: Being away from a young child for extended working hours can affect a parent's ability to concentrate at work.

• Career uncertainty: Employees may worry about missed opportunities, changing responsibilities or being perceived as less committed after becoming parents.

When these concerns remain unaddressed, employees may consider flexible working arrangements, reduced responsibilities or even leaving their jobs.

Five Ways HR Teams Can Build an Effective Return-to-Work Strategy

1. Introduce a Structured Return-to-Work Programme

HR teams should establish communication with employees before their leave ends. A planned transition, welcome-back discussion and clear expectations about responsibilities can help employees regain confidence and settle into their roles.

2. Offer Flexible Working Arrangements

Flexible start and finish times, hybrid working options and phased transitions, wherever operationally possible, can help working parents manage their professional and personal responsibilities more effectively.

3. Make Childcare an Organisational Priority

One of the biggest concerns for working parents is access to dependable childcare. Organisations can address this through workplace crèches, onsite daycare facilities or partnerships with experienced corporate childcare providers.

4. Train Managers to Support Returning Employees

Managers play an important role in making employees feel included after parental leave. Sensitisation sessions can help teams understand the challenges of returning parents and encourage supportive, non-judgmental workplace practices.

5. Measure Retention Beyond the Return Date

HR teams should track post-leave retention, employee engagement, absenteeism and feedback from returning parents. These indicators can help organisations understand whether their policies are creating meaningful support.

Corporate Daycare: Turning Parental Support into Workplace Action

While flexible policies address scheduling challenges, accessible childcare addresses one of the most practical concerns faced by working parents.

An onsite daycare facility allows employees to access childcare closer to their workplace, reducing the stress associated with managing work and childcare across different locations.

For organisations, corporate daycare is more than an employee benefit. It can become an important part of a broader employee retention strategy, supporting working parents while strengthening the organisation's commitment to inclusion and employee wellbeing.

The Banyan World partners with organisations to create and manage structured corporate childcare facilities. With a focus on safe environments, trained caregivers, defined operating processes and age-appropriate learning experiences, Banyan helps organisations make workplace childcare a meaningful part of their employee support ecosystem.

A parental leave policy tells employees that an organisation supports their journey into parenthood. A well-designed return-to-work strategy demonstrates that the organisation also supports their journey back into their careers.

For HR leaders, the objective should not simply be to bring employees back after parental leave, but to create an environment where they can continue to grow, contribute and stay.

Because retaining talent requires more than welcoming employees back. It requires making it possible for them to stay.

You May Also Read:

How Corporate Daycare Helps Organisations Retain Working Parents

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is a return-to-work strategy?

A return-to-work strategy is a structured approach that helps employees transition back into their professional roles after parental or maternity leave. It may include flexible working arrangements, reintegration programmes, manager support and access to reliable childcare facilities.

2. Why is a return-to-work programme important for employee retention?

A return-to-work programme helps employees feel supported during the transition into parenthood and their professional responsibilities. By addressing childcare concerns, workplace flexibility and career continuity, organisations can improve employee engagement and reduce the likelihood of losing experienced talent.

3. What challenges do working mothers face when returning to work?

Working mothers often face challenges such as finding dependable childcare, managing work-life balance, adjusting to new routines and dealing with separation anxiety. Lack of workplace support can also affect their career progression and long-term employment decisions.

4. How can HR teams support employees returning after maternity leave?

HR teams can support returning employees through structured reintegration programmes, flexible working hours, regular check-ins, manager sensitisation, career development opportunities and access to workplace childcare facilities.

5. What is the role of corporate daycare in employee retention?

Corporate daycare provides employees with access to childcare facilities at or near their workplace. It helps reduce childcare-related stress, supports working parents and enables organisations to create a more parent-friendly work environment.

6. Is providing a crèche mandatory for companies in India?

Under the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017, establishments with 50 or more employees are required to provide crèche facilities within the prescribed distance, either separately or through common facilities. Eligible employees must be allowed four visits to the crèche daily, including their rest interval. Applicable state rules should also be considered.

7. How can organisations improve work-life balance for working parents?

Organisations can improve work-life balance by offering flexible working arrangements, supportive managers, parental leave policies, accessible childcare and an inclusive workplace culture that recognises the needs of working parents.

8. How can The Banyan World help organisations support working parents?

The Banyan World partners with organisations to establish and manage corporate childcare facilities. Through structured childcare operations, trained caregivers, safe environments and age-appropriate learning experiences, Banyan helps businesses build a supportive workplace for working parents.