Maternity returners to share experiences in national survey

A national survey is being launched to find out what women returners really think of going back to work.

Pregnancy and childcare charity the NCT is behind the survey, which will capture women's experiences on returning from maternity leave or adoption leave.

Around 400,000 women take maternity leave each year. A figure that is set to grow considering that women make up 46% of the labour force and, by 2010, one in five UK workers will be mothers. Within nine months, 65% of women have returned to work, with 21% moving to a different employer. After 17 months, 80% of women are back at work. In the UK, 30,000 leave their jobs each year due to pregnancy discrimination.

Liz Morris, researcher, said that the demands of caring for a child can be radically different to the demands of the workplace.

"Women often face realistic anxieties about juggling their new family and their work commitments.