I was fortunate to transition into an office-based role to improve my technical skills after five years of field work, which I loved (and miss). I work for a large organisation that actively promotes gender diversity and publicly champions flexible working arrangements to support work–life balance.
Throughout my pregnancy and parental leave, my experience was overwhelmingly positive. I felt genuinely supported by my direct leader, maintained regular contact with my team during my leave, and had confidence in my organisation's parental leave policies. The HR documentation was comprehensive, well written, and gave me every reason to believe that my transition back to work would be well supported.
Unfortunately, my return-to-work experience did not reflect those expectations. While my direct leader continued to be supportive, decisions made by more senior leaders were inconsistent with both the company's published HR policies and the recommendations outlined by the Fair Work Commission. At the time, this left me feeling unsupported and particularly vulnerable during what is already a significant life transition.
As I spoke with other first-time mothers within the organisation, I discovered that many had experienced similar challenges when returning from parental leave. Although it was uncomfortable, I chose to challenge the decisions that affected my return to work. Approximately a year later, I was assured that improvements would be made for future employees.
Becoming a mother has changed my perspective on work. I feel driven by doing what's right rather than pursuing career progression at this point in my life.