Blog: The Working Mamma Reset for HR - return to work workshops
Most HR teams we speak to have the formal side of maternity leave well covered. KIT days are offered, the phased return is agreed, the policy is clear and up to date.
And still, some returners quietly wobble in those first months back. A few of them leave.
The parts that tend to slip through are the ones that are hard to write into a policy. Who she is now she's a mum. How she's really coping at 10pm when the house is finally quiet. Whether she still believes she's good at her job. Those conversations rarely happen in a return to work meeting, and they shouldn't have to.
That's the space our new online series, The Working Mamma Reset, is built for. Below we walk through each of the four sessions, what mums get from them, and how you can use them to support the parents in your organisation.
What is The Working Mamma Reset?
The Working Mamma Reset is a series of four online workshops for mums of young children, whether they're on maternity leave, getting ready to retun to work, or already back at work and finding it tougher than expected. Each session runs on a Thursday evening, 7.30pm to 9pm, on Microsoft Teams, in a small group.
The sessions are led by Zoe Scorah, founder of My Maternity Coach. Zoe is an accredited coach with over 10 years in learning and development, and she has been through the return to work herself.
Each week builds on the last, so mums get the most from booking the whole series. Every session also works on its own.
Session | Date | Time |
1. Who Am I Now? Remembering You After Kids | Thursday 26 November 2026 | 7.30pm to 9pm |
2. Running on Empty? A Wellbeing and Energy Reset | Thursday 3 December 2026 | 7.30pm to 9pm |
3. Career Confidence: Return to Work Feeling Like You | Thursday 10 December 2026 | 7.30pm to 9pm |
4. Map Out Your Future: Vision Board Night | Thursday 17 December 2026 | 7.30pm to 9pm |
[Book a single session or the full series on Eventbrite - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/2002942568139?aff=oddtdtcreator
Session 1: Who Am I Now? Remembering You After Kids
Thursday 26 November 2026, 7.30pm to 9pm
Session 1 helps mums make sense of how motherhood has changed them and reconnect with what matters to them now during the return to work transition. There's a name for this shift, matrescence, and most women have never heard it, so they assume the feeling of not quite recognising themselves is something they're getting wrong.
In this session mums:
talk openly about what has changed, with other mums who get it
work out which values still sit at the centre of their life and which have moved
start to see the person they are now as someone worth getting to know, rather than a lesser version of who they were
Why it matters at work: a returner who has made peace with who she is now walks back in steadier. She's far less likely to spend her first few months trying to prove she's exactly the same person who left.
Session 2: Running on Empty? A Wellbeing and Energy Reset
Thursday 3 December 2026, 7.30pm to 9pm
Session 2 is about the mental load, the mum guilt and the boundaries that make the week feel doable. Lots of mums arrive at the return already exhausted, carrying every school form, nursery bag and birthday present in their head, and then add a full workload on top.
In this session mums:
map what drains their energy and what fills it back up
look honestly at the mental load and what could be shared or dropped
name the guilt for what it is, so it loses some of its grip
find a few boundaries that work at home and at work
Why it matters at work: burnout in the first year back is one of the quiet reasons good people leave. A mum who has a plan for her energy can give her best at work for longer, and she's more likely to ask for help before it reaches crisis point.
Session 3: Career Confidence: Return to Work Feeling Like You
Thursday 10 December 2026, 7.30pm to 9pm
Session 3 helps mums quieten the self doubt, see what they bring back, and plan their first 90 days. Twelve months away can make even very capable people wonder if they've still got it, and that doubt often shows up as staying quiet in meetings or saying yes to everything.
In this session mums:
spot the stories their self doubt is telling them and test them against the facts
list the skills they had before and the new ones parenting has added, like prioritising, negotiating and staying calm under pressure
plan their first 90 days back, including what to say to their manager and what to ask for
Why it matters at work: a returner who knows her value and has a plan gets up to speed faster. She's also better at having the conversations with her manager that stop small problems turning into a resignation letter.
Session 4: Map Out Your Future: Vision Board Night
Thursday 17 December 2026, 7.30pm to 9pm
Session 4 brings everything together. Mums picture the life they want, at home and at work, and turn it into three goals with real first steps they can take in the next month. It's the most relaxed session of the four, and a lovely way to end the year.
In this session mums:
create a vision board, with paper and glue or a Canva template, whichever suits them
turn the board into three clear goals
set one small first step for each goal, so January starts with momentum
Why it matters at work: a mum who can see where she's heading is far more likely to see that future with you. Clear goals also give her and her manager something concrete to talk about in development conversations.
Why should HR teams care about identity, energy and confidence?
Because that's where returners are won or lost, and the numbers behind it are hard to ignore.
Many exits can be prevented. Gallup found that 42% of people who quit say their manager or organisation could have stopped it, and replacing a manager can cost around twice their salary. (Gallup)
The return is where it goes wrong. In Pregnant Then Screwed's 2025 research, almost half of mothers had a negative experience at work during pregnancy, leave or the return, and 1 in 5 of those then left their employer. (Pregnant Then Screwed)
Coaching works. When EY UK introduced maternity coaching, retention of returners rose to 95%. Before that, up to 1 in 5 returners left within two years. (UK Government case study)
The best employers plan the return, as well as the leave. Salesforce offers a gradual return and free coaching, and Apple gives new parents a four week grace period on full pay. (Salesforce)
One to one coaching is the gold standard, and it isn't always in the budget for every returner. A group workshop gives mums some of that same thinking time and peer support for the cost of an Eventbrite ticket.
How can HR teams use The Working Mamma Reset?
The simplest way is to share it with the mums in your organisation and let them decide. A few ideas:
Add it to your keeping in touch emails for anyone currently on maternity leave.
Include it in your return to work pack or on your parents' network page.
Buy a series pass for a returner as a welcome back gift, or let mums claim it from your learning or wellbeing budget.
Mention it to line managers so they can suggest it in a return to work conversation.
The sessions run in the evening, outside the working day, and mums join a group from lots of different organisations. That means they can speak freely about what's really going on.
If some of your returners need more than a group session, our one to one coaching packages include a session with their line manager too. Get in touch and we'll talk through what would work for your team.
Ready to share it? https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/2002942568139?aff=oddtdtcreator
Frequently asked questions
What is The Working Mamma Reset? The Working Mamma Reset is a series of four online evening workshops for mums of young children, run by My Maternity Coach. It covers identity after motherhood, energy and wellbeing, career confidence and goal setting for the return to work.
Who are the workshops for? They're for mums on maternity leave, mums preparing to return to work, and mums who are already back and finding it hard. Mums from any organisation or sector can book.
When are the sessions? The sessions run on Thursday evenings from 7.30pm to 9pm UK time: 26 November, 3 December, 10 December and 17 December 2026.
Where do the workshops take place? All four sessions are online on Microsoft Teams, so mums can join from home after bedtime.
Do mums need to attend all four sessions? No. Each session works on its own, though the sessions build on each other, so the full series gives the most benefit.
Can an employer pay for an employee to attend? Yes. Employers can buy a ticket or series pass for a returner, or reimburse the cost from a learning or wellbeing budget.
How do the workshops help with returning to work after maternity leave? They give mums time to rebuild their sense of self, manage their energy, regain career confidence and plan their first 90 days back. Research shows coaching around the return improves retention, with EY UK reaching 95% retention of returners after introducing maternity coaching.
