ABSTRACT

Parenthood can be one of the most fulfilling, altering, and challenging life events. This book is set within the background of the reality of many parents’ return-to-work experience, the task of re-engaging with work and maintaining a job or a career, and the difficulties that parenthood poses for balancing the demands of a new family with the demands of work. It helps us understand this reality, give voice to new parents, and offer relief in the knowledge that we know a lot about these challenges and, most importantly, how we can start to address them.

The book brings together a number of internationally recognized experts from research, practice, and policy to explore the issues and offer evidence-based solutions around return-to-work after having children. It takes a balanced approach to theory and practice to cover topics such as equality, stereotypes, work-family conflict, training and development, and workplace culture, among others, whilst integrating research and policy, and illustrating learnings with case studies from parents and examples from countries that lead the way.

It will appeal to parents, researchers, and employers in any sector or economy across the world. Ultimately, it will help develop ways for new parents to re-engage with work successfully while maintaining their work-family well-being.

chapter 1|9 pages

Introduction

Understanding the return-to-work experience for parents: what is and what could be

chapter 2|12 pages

New parents navigating the workplace

Pregnancy, stereotype threat, and work-family conflict

chapter 5|12 pages

Return-to-work for fathers

A group with specific needs?

chapter 6|10 pages

Fathers and leave for parenting

How can we increase uptake?

chapter 7|9 pages

Work-family integration and gender equality

How Nordic countries lead the way

chapter 8|8 pages

Career progression

Left out of the game?

chapter 9|12 pages

Career development after parenthood

Choices, challenges and opportunities

chapter 11|12 pages

Childcare options in France

Beyond the hypothetic free choices