There’s been so much written about the challenges new mothers face when they go back to work after having a baby (not that the 24/7 responsibility of being a new parent was a break). What isn’t discussed as often is the fact that body image is a major factor in how women feel about returning to work.
Many mums returning to work after having a baby face a loss of confidence, and who could blame them with the Australian Human Rights Commission finding that half of all mothers reported experiencing discrimination at some point during their pregnancy, parental leave or return to work.
There’s a phrase that haunts many women as we get ready to swap our nappy bags for briefcases, brave commutes, navigate the bureaucracy of the childcare system and become fluent in industry jargon once again. It’s the idea that once we have grown, birthed, nurtured and sustained the life of a tiny human, our bodies are meant to ‘bounce back’.
In homes across the country, women planning their return to work after having babies are looking at their work clothes and sighing. In fact, research has found that postpartum body image is at its lowest 6-8 months after having a baby because it’s when a woman is likely to be preparing to return to work.
Body image plagues us on so many levels. Even for those of us who have worked hard on embracing the new version of our body, there’s the logistical challenge of building a wardrobe of clothes that fit, feel good and are appropriate for work. This can be stressful, expensive, and impacts our confidence.
And it’s not just the clothing that rings up the bills – research conducted by AMP found that women pay a ‘pink tax’ — 29% more for razors, 16% more for body wash and that’s without even getting into the price of make-up and skincare compared to brands marketed to men.
Returning to work is hard enough without being compounded by body image challenges. In a time when our bodies have done something incredible, they should be celebrated, not discriminated against. When employees can turn up to work in a way that makes them feel comfortable and included, they will be more productive and engaged.
Supporting workers to build a better body image is good for the employee, good for the business and good for the entire Australian economy. Goldman Sachs found that bridging the gap between male and female employment rates could provide an additional $114 billion each year to the Australian economy.
How to support new parents returning to work:
- Regularly check in with staff who are on parental leave to help them maintain a connection with their colleagues.
- Provide practical support for parents who return to work by getting them up to speed on any changes while they’ve been away (like new technology, different processes and people changes).
- Rather than acting like they’ve been on holidays, recognise the skills they’ve built while they’ve been parenting — agility, resilience, creative thinking and problem solving are some typical skills that new parents develop
- Ask parents how they would like to mark their return to work after a new baby. Some parents might appreciate a morning tea or lunch, while others may prefer something more low key.
- Be mindful of language — the number one thing we can do is stop commenting on other people’s bodies. Even phrases that are intended as a compliment, like “wow you’ve got your figure back already” and “you don’t look like you had a baby” can place unintentional pressure on new mums.
Embrace @Work is a revolutionary offering for proactive companies at the forefront of building employee productivity, engagement, and wellbeing. We know that 70% of women and 60% of men are dissatisfied with their bodies and spend time and energy worrying about their appearance. Imagine if we could harness this collective energy in solving the world’s greatest problems? Embrace@Work helps unlock your people’s potential by removing the invisible barrier to productivity in your workplace.
