Getting ready to go on leave with its extended time away from work can feel odd.

It’s not like preparing for annual leave when you know where you’re off to and what you’ll be coming back to. As well as any antenatal or parenting prep you might be thinking about, the work unknowns can take up a lot of headspace.

What about my career now? What about changes in the business? Should I use KIT days and for what? What support should I expect from my manager? How should I keep in contact? What if I don’t want to? What job will I be coming back to? What if I can’t work full time anymore?

Much of what makes leave feel daunting isn't the logistics that HR usually take care of. It's all this other stuff.

This session is about what you can do now, while you've still got one foot in the door so that you feel like you are leaving on your own terms, getting clear on how much or how little you want to hear from work while you're away, understanding how best to protect your confidence and wellbeing, and setting up a return that doesn't catch you cold when it arrives.

Led by our external partner, Lynn White of Talent on Leave, it’s an informal space where you can raise all the awkward questions anonymously and talk about them with other expectant mums, dads and partners.