A smooth return to work is possible

Speak to any modern working parent and no doubt they’ll tell you there are days when they love being at home caring for their young ones and days when they can’t wait to get out that door just to speak to an adult.

We know parents can struggle balancing their career with giving their children the best possible start to life.

We’ve spoken to some of our star project managers that have recently returned to work after a period of parental leave to hear about their experiences and thoughts during this period of change.

Sydney based Project Manager, Jade Marin, pictured with Senior Project Manager Taya Kirris, recently returned to work after her first baby, and said her experience was very positive, starting from when she was at work during pregnancy.

“My manager was really proactive in supporting me and providing flexibility in my role. My project team were also supportive and were able to take on additional responsibility as I was transitioning off the projects to commence my parental leave,” Jade said.

“For me, the key to a positive return to work experience was easing into it and allowing myself and my son time to adjust to the change. I used two partial Keeping in Touch days to participate in tender preparation and a tender interview. I then commenced on two days per week before increasing to three days. I really enjoyed working with the tender team prior to my official return and found it was a nice way to ease back in to the work environment.”

Jade said she was excited to return to work to reconnect with the TSA team and find a balance between parenting and working.

“I started my son at day care one month before my return to work. This allowed him to settle in and meant that I was able to focus on work rather than worrying about how he was adjusting.”

“I found the career coaching a valuable part of TSA’s Parental Leave Program. It helped me to build confidence and facilitate a stress-free return to work.”

“I had the first session with my career coach a few months prior to my return. This allowed me to set a return to work plan and gave me enough time to implement it. The follow-up session one month after returning helped to assess what was working and where there were opportunities for improvement. Four months after my return I had a third coaching session which also included my Manager and facilitated our discussions on career planning and development.”

Jade is one of TSA’s Education sector specialists, and while she is working on the best outcomes for projects like the Santa Sophia Catholic College, she believes the best things about returning to work are the simple pleasures.

“It’s great to have a break from parent mode, drinking coffee or tea while it’s still hot, eating lunch in peace, and the adult conversation. But the hardest part is missing the interaction with my son during the day.”