How can you ensure that your return to work after a career break is successful? And what can you ask your employer to do for you? In this live chat, Elizabeth speaks with Lynn Houmdi from the Making Work Work programme about all things flexible working, career breaks, and returning to work.
Lynn begins by sharing her experience of returning to work after motherhood and how she became involved with the Challenges Group, which runs the Making Work Work programme. She unpacks some of the everyday struggles women face after a career break and explains how society is structured in ways that undermine many women’s confidence.
Lynn then outlines for Elizabeth what women can ask their employers about flexible working and why it can benefit both parties. Towards the end of the chat, she shares three top tips to help women successfully navigate their return to work.
This is an eye-opening discussion about the state of flexible working in the UK after the pandemic, and it is a great resource for you to learn about returning to work after a career break. If you enjoyed the discussion, follow Elizabeth Willetts on LinkedIn to catch more great interviews about career options for women. For more expert tips about how to thrive in your career after children, check out our blog post here.
Timestamps
[1:18] Lynn introduces herself and explains how she struggled to return to work after the birth of her son
[4:03] Lynn’s higher education studies and joining a business consultancy group to help mothers further their careers
[6:27] The challenges that women face in their careers and how Lynn chose her current career path
[9:53] Why might women lack confidence in themselves and their abilities?
[14:35] The bumpy transition into motherhood and then back into the workplace
[17:03] What services does Making Work Work offer?
[21:06] How the programme runs
[23:23] Lynn explains the power of voicing what you want from your career after a career break
[24:50] The stats on how the programme has helped the participants
[26:45] Where else can you find these kinds of programmes in the UK?
[28:17] “What we’re doing is much bigger than just getting women back into work”
[29:15] What employers can do to support Making Work Work, flexible working and female employees
[31:13] The arguments for hiring people who’ve taken an extended career break
[33:36] Lynn lists what employers can do to support people returning to work after a career break
[35:39] Transferable skills, the hours you can realistically work, researching the company culture: Lynn’s top tips for people returning to work
[37:35] A question from a viewer: Why do we only talk about mums working part-time and not dads?
[40:05] Lynn unpacks the experiment of the four-day workweek
[43:04] The impact of dads spending more time at home with their children
[46:20] Where to go to connect with Lynn and learn more about your flexible working options
Links
Flexible Working Scotland group on Facebook
Investing in Women’s flexible working recruitment site and job board
Investing in Women on Instagram
Investing in Women on LinkedIn
Investing in Women on Facebook
Investing in Women on Pinterest
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