The other thing to bear in mind is that no decision about work or childcare is permanent. If things aren’t working out, you can try something else and turn down a different path. You can only do what is right for you and your family at that particular point in time. There are many changes which can throw all the pieces up in the air again – having another baby, a job offer, being made redundant, a new line manager, or moving to another area. It is impossible to future proof our choices. As Daniel Stern said about making work-related decisions as a parent: “There are no fixed answers, and there are certainly no perfect, permanent solutions. There are only relatively good or relatively bad compromises.”
Although decisions about going back to work are very personal, they have to be taken in a context where maternity related discrimination is, regrettably, all too common. If you are concerned that you are or may be discriminated against, here are two free legal helplines you can call:
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