It is common to hear of parents struggling to get back into working life after maternity leave. It’s an emotional time between adapting to the lifestyle of parenting and helping their new arrival settle in. Many are exhausted due to lack of sleep and find it difficult to find motivation, here are some ways to help ease your employee back into the office environment.

Ensure your maternity leave policy is clearly implemented in the company handbook and that all team members are aware of it. The policy should include how much notice to give before the leave, the amount of time allowed and what to do when returning to work.  

Before the employee goes on leave, make it clear that you plan to keep in contact throughout their time off. Arrange days to catch-up either face-to-face or via phone/email. This will help the employee remain connected with the company and saves you the time on filling them in on their return.

Set up a review programme focused on their return to work. They should already be up to speed with what’s been happening from the catch-up meetings. The review programme will allow you to check how they are adapting and ensure they understand any changes that have been made. It also gives them the opportunity to request support or ask any questions.

As well as a review, show them they are cared for by organising a ‘welcome back’ lunch or dinner to help with make their return a smooth process. It gives the chance to meet any new employees and get reacquainted with others. This is important as one of the biggest causes of concern for returning to work mothers is seeing the rest of the team members, especially if they have lost contact while on leave. The day before the employee starts, hold a meeting to make your team aware of their return. Suggest some employees taking their team member out for an informal lunch or a quick coffee for a quick catch-up. The faster your employee settles back in, the faster their productivity will increase.  

Ensure that all employees are being welcoming towards their returning colleague, some workers may see them as competition or enjoyed having authority over work that will be given back to the returning employee. Keep an eye on this by asking managers how the team are working together or taking the employee to one side and asking how they are settling back in.

It is important to be understanding of your employee’s home life. Ask how they are finding life with their new arrival and offer flexitime if it’s not already available. Be lenient with offering work from home opportunities, as your employee will appreciate your consideration of their home situation, which, in turn will increase their loyalty to your company. Some companies offer organisational and motivational coaching for new parents, helping them handle their new lifestyle, and so consider putting this in place to ensure your employees hit the ground running on their return.

All employers experience a worker taking maternity leave at some point in their career and so it is important to follow these tips to ensure the process goes smoothly before, during and after the maternity leave, affecting your company as little as possible.

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The summer season is prime time for university students seeking work experience in an industry of their choice. For many, completing an internship will be their first time an office, and so providing them with a valuable experience whilst making the most of another person can be hard to balance.

There are elements that must be thought about before and during the internship. Here are some ways to make the most of the experience for all involved.

Follow a Recruitment Process
Even though interns may be a temporary hire, it doesn’t mean they can’t impact your workplace in a big way. Motivated and enthusiastic interns will be a breath of fresh air for your workplace and some will bring unique ideas to projects. However those that are unproductive and bored will negatively impact your team’s overall motivation.
 
During the interview process make sure to assess the candidate for their ability to fit in with the team as well as their grades. Ask yourself, will they use initiative? Will they work well in a team? Will they bring a positive energy to the company? All these questions are just as important as what type of school or university they go to.
 
Contract
Drafting up a contract for your intern should cover any thoughts or queries about the internship and must also clearly state the length of the internship and payment (if applicable.) It is advised to offer an intern some form of payment, as unpaid internships may cause exploitation accusations. 
 
Plan Ahead
If an intern is not given enough work to complete, they will become unmotivated and time will be wasted while your team devise tasks for them. To avoid this, hold a meeting with employees to discuss exactly what projects the intern can help with.
 
Assign certain employees to be their mentors, as this helps guide the intern while improving team member managerial skills. Ensure the intern is being assigned challenging work that will be helpful for your team. Assigning tasks just to “give them something to do” will leave interns bored and unhelpful to your company.
 
Assign Goals
Most interns want more from their experience than doing coffee runs every morning and afternoon. Allow them to prove themselves by assigning worthwhile tasks as this will help you evaluate whether they would be a good fit for potentially becoming a permanent employee.
 
Company Culture
Invite interns to different work events, including team lunches and after work drinks. This will make them feel a part of the team and gives you a good chance to see how they interact with the rest of your employees.
 
Conduct Regular Reviews
Give interns regular reviews just like you would with permanent employees. If you don’t have the time, ask intern mentors to conduct a review and give you feedback. Giving positive and constructive feedback will give the intern the opportunity to grow.
 
When the internship has ended, have the intern fill out a feedback form on what they liked about their experience, what they would do differently and their thoughts on your company culture. This gives you an indication of any changes to make for your next summer intern, ensuring that it’s a successful summer for your company, as well as your intern.

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​Sending team members on oversea work trips is a weekly process for most companies, and as an employer, it is vital to ensure employees are kept safe and secure on their travels. Here are some tips on maintaining a prominent level of security while your team are representing your company abroad:

Work Attitude
When staff travel for work, their work ethic and attitude can become more relaxed. They may take actions that they wouldn’t usually, such as staying out later for work drinks or being late for meetings. Implement rules for working overseas in your company policy. Reinforce these rules in staff meetings, telling all team members that they must be extra vigilant. State that they must take secure transport, not travel into unsafe areas and if necessary, use safety equipment. 

Country Conditions
Every country has their own hazards and weather conditions that people must be cautious of. Consider the risks within the location your employees are travelling to. Organise training so staff are aware of what to do in the case of storms, earthquakes or other possible hazards.
 
Crime is a major risk that employees must also be wary of. Training for those travelling must involve actions for people to take when they feel unsafe. Send an e-mail including the address of staff accommodation, the country’s police number and city areas deemed unsafe to travel in.

Food and Drink
People here are accustomed to clean, fresh water available on tap, but this is not the case for every country. Some places advise locals to only drink bottled water, so ensure staff know this or they may become extremely ill. Sick staff will not bode well in terms of a productive trip, making everything come to a halt. Advising staff on food and drink safety will prevent any sickness and ensure the work trip is worthwhile.
 
Understanding of the Culture
Offer language classes with a focus on business for those team members that travel often. An understanding of certain phrases and keywords will help them feel comfortable when being taken out for business lunches and for meetings. An awareness of the language can also help if they get into dangerous situations, as they can ask for help if needed.

Foreigners can be target for thieves, so remind all staff to carry all important documents in a secure bag and to take extra caution when travelling in busy areas. It’s a good idea to ask staff to scan documents and email them to themselves or upload in an online drive in case they get lost on the journey.

Forward planning is crucial for any successful business trips; documents, risk assessments and a crisis management policy will help any trip go smoothly, wherever in the world you are sending your team.

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