Worried About Returning to Work After Maternity Leave? Seeking Advice on Re-entering the Job Market

Hi, I'm Lavanya. I was working with a leading KPO as a Lead HR, and I have a total of 10 years of experience. Due to maternity, I was not able to continue, and now it has been 1.5 years. I'm afraid I won't be able to re-enter the job because of my break. Can anyone let me know about the normal rules regarding whether it is accepted?

Yes, you may get a job despite the break in employment due to health or other reasons, which can be considered. There are plenty of opportunities in Mumbai.

All the best,

Regards,
Lakshminrayana

You should have opted for Maternity Leave from the company. It seems like you have resigned or left the organization, resulting in a 1.5-year gap. Therefore, you may not be able to secure a position within the same organization. However, there are plenty of opportunities available, so I recommend starting to apply for them.

Regards,
B. Anand Kumar

As Mr. Anand said, you could have applied for maternity leave. Nowadays, the concept of child care leave has also developed. It would be a better option to first apply for maternity leave, followed by child care leave if necessary, to safeguard your position.

However, with your experience, you have more opportunities if anything else happens.

Regards,
K. Srinivas

Thank you for the reply. I have 2 years of experience in the recruitment field. Due to my marriage, I relocated to Bangalore, and I have a 6-month career gap. When I joined my present company, they asked me to start as a fresher because of the job gap. I began as a junior HR. If I face a similar situation in the future, please advise me on what to do.

Regards,
Smith

You can certainly get a job, but while applying, you should be clear about the type of role and at what level (mid-management, senior management) you want to take up. This is very important, especially to be able to strike a work-life balance. I too have taken a break post-maternity for 1.5 years. While reviving my career, I initially took up a junior-management level position (though earlier I was in a mid-management level position) and then after a year, I switched to a full-time mid-management level position. By then, I was sure I could strike a fair work-life balance. I had formerly worked for three top IT companies but now chose to join a startup which was in close proximity to my home. Though I had to compromise on the compensation front, once you get into the flow and do good work, good salary follows.

ALL THE BEST. I am sure you just need to go out and explore the available opportunities.

Regards,
Gia

Thank you for all your valuable comments. Please let me know if anyone can help me to re-enter the job.

Regards,
Lavanya Nandha Kumar C