Navigating the Return-to-Work Experience for New Parents

Maria Karanika-Murray is an Associate Professor in Occupational Health Psychology at the Department of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University. In her work she brings together different methodologies, disciplines, and stakeholders with the aim to understand the context and develop ways to support work-related health and well-being.at the Department of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University. Her work brings together different methodologies, disciplines, and stakeholders, with the aim to understand the context and develop ways to support work-related health and well-being. Sir Cary Cooper, CBE, is the 50th Anniversary Professor of Organizational Psychology and Health at ALLIANCE Manchester Business School of the University of Manchester, President of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (HR professional body), Immediate Past President of the British Academy of Management, and President of the Institute of Welfare.

"What a fascinating book! As both a researcher and campaigner in this area, I welcome the way that the authors have pulled together a terrific mix of contributors from research, practice and policy, to tackle the issues faced by both mothers and fathers in returning to work after childbirth. We have so much to learn from the countries represented here." - Sue Vinnicombe, CBE, Professor of Women and Leadership, Cranfield University, UK"Men and women participate more equally in the labor market than ever before in many parts of the world. This is probably one of the biggest societal changes to come about in the 20th century. Surprisingly, however, the realities and practicalities of such emancipated labor participation are not well studied, nor are they well understood. One of those realities and practicalities concerns having and raising children. Specifically, parents returning to work are an overlooked group. Fortunately, this book charts the territory and gives important pointers as to where to look, what to understand better, and what we can do. This edited collection of 12 chapters by a range of important scholars provides a wide overview of the issues involved. There is attention for stereotype threats, strategies that parents use, the special case of fathers, the career issues involved, and practices that organizations can offer, just to name a few of the topics addressed. The editors, Maria Karanika-Murray and Cary Cooper, expertly organized the materials and provided an inspiring introduction of the issue. They also added a final chapter that is rich in lessons learned and personal reflections. The bottom line appears to be that the issue requires a lot of maturity from parents, organizations, and governments alike: we all can and need to do our part. On a personal level, when reading this book, it is intriguing to see academics trying to get to grips with the challenge of parenting themselves within the current timeframe and context. I wish this book had been around when I first became a parent." - Marc van Veldhoven, Professor of Work, Health & Well-being, Tilburg University, The Netherlands

• List of ContributorsForeword Ann Francke, Chartered Management Institute, LondonForewordLaura Addati, International Labour Organization, GenevaChapter 1. Introduction—Understanding the return-to-work experience for parents: what is and what could beMaria Karanika-Murray & Cary CooperChapter 2. New Parents Navigating the Workplace: Pregnancy, Stereotype Threat, and Work-Family ConflictLindsey M. Lavaysse, Erica L. Bettac, & Tahira M. ProbstChapter 3. Building the support network of new parents at work and outsideHelen Pluut & Sara De HauwChapter 4. Practical strategies for work-family resources management in the return-to-work experiences of new parentsAngela Martin, Sarah Dawkins, Vanessa Miles, Sarah Cotton & Justine AlterChapter 5. Return to work for fathers: A group with specific needs?Marc Grau-GrauChapter 6. Fathers and leave for parenting: how can we increase uptake?Adrienne Burgess & Jeremy DaviesChapter 7. Work-family integration and gender equality: How Nordic countries lead the wayGayle KaufmanChapter 8. Career Progression: Left out of the Game?Nina M. Junker, Alina S. Hernandez Bark & Jamie L. GloorChapter 9. Career development after parenthood: choices, challenges and opportunitiesJulia YatesChapter 10. Training and development for employees returning to work after parental leaveJoanna Yarker, Hans-Joachim Wolfram & Nina Mareen JunkerChapter 11. Childcare options in France: Beyond the hypothetic free choicesDanielle Boyer & Claude MartinChapter 12. What can employers do? Creating an inclusive workplace that fosters work-family wellbeingHans van Dijk & Loes MeeussenChapter 13. Going beyond policies to ease parents back into work and rebalance roles: The importance of individualized-dealsInés Martínez-Corts & J. Pablo Moreno-BeltránChapter 14. What we have leanred and what we can do to support parents' return-to-workCary Cooper & Maria Karanika-MurrayIndex