There has been great attention placed on encouraging employees to return to the office following Covid-19. Yet law firms have faced another challenge since long before the pandemic: How do we ensure that women rejoin after maternity leave?
A recent study found that 90% of women surveyed cited workplace culture as the main reason for not returning after maternity leave, rather than staying home with their children. A lack of flexibility, work/life balance and career prospects were high on the list. According to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), women currently represent more than 50% of all lawyers in the U.K., therefore losing mothers from this talent base is something that firms can ill afford.
