Are we failing working parents, or just ignoring them?

Returning to work after having a baby should be a time of empowerment and reintegration. But for far too many women, it’s an experience marked by anxiety, invisibility, and systems that haven’t evolved. In this episode, I’m joined by business psychologist and founder of & Culture Consulting, Clare Radford, to explore the hidden costs of unsupported returns to work, and what we can do about it.

Clare’s groundbreaking report, How to Support Returning Parents: From Boardroom to Babies and Back Again, draws on nearly 400 real stories from mothers who’ve lived it. With honesty and clarity, Clare reveals why the return to work is such a vulnerable transition, the cultural blind spots that make it harder, and the practical changes every organisation must make to retain their talent and humanity.

We discuss:

Why your ambition doesn’t disappear just because you’ve had a baby

The personal story that inspired Clare’s mission to change the return-to-work experience

The emotional and professional toll of being overlooked, gaslit, and unsupported

The five game-changing strategies to transform parental return policies into meaningful action

What businesses, and line managers, must understand to stop the quiet exodus of mothers from the workforce

If you’re a working parent, an HR leader, or someone who believes we need to build workplaces that work for real lives, this episode will move, inspire, and challenge you.

Your return to work matters. Let’s make sure it’s supported.

Download Clare’s report here

Connect with Clare on LinkedIn

Learn more about & Culture Consulting

Read the transcript