Berwick @Home – Maternity leave, furlough and secondment

It has been a year of ups and downs for everyone, not least for Corin Lynch, our exceptional Events Manager. Corin went on maternity leave in July 2019 and welcomed her beautiful baby girl a few weeks later. A dedicated and hard worker, Corin began her return to work through keeping touch days at the start of 2020. Just as she was preparing to re-join the firm, we were plunged into a global pandemic and a national lockdown.

With face-to-face events being postponed for the foreseeable, Corin went straight from her maternity leave to being furloughed. After nearly two years away from the business, Corin re-joined on a short secondment to our parent company, Odgers Berndtson.

Coming back to work after having a baby is daunting for many, but re-joining after a prolonged period of absence, to an unfamiliar role has highlighted Corin’s strength and resilience. At our latest virtual away day, Corin candidly shared her experience through a poem which we are sure many women can relate to:

I am not the woman I used to be before I had a baby, I used to be sure, confident and quick.

But now it’s more a maybe?

I am not the woman I used to be before I had a baby, my jeans are tight, my hair isn’t right.

But I don’t care, and that seems crazy!

I am not the drinker I used to be before I had a baby, I used to drink Prosecco unlimited.

But now I would end up in A&E.

But with that being said….

I am more than the woman I used to be before I had a baby.

I love more than I thought was possible and I burst with pride daily.

So, who would the woman coming back to work be?

The one who had a baby?

The one who had nearly two years off after furlough and felt lazy.

The one who survived a pandemic, dirty nappies and redundancy…?

Well, she swallowed her nerves, she faced a new challenge of secondment and a new boss lately, But she smashed it.

She did them proud.

Her husband and her baby.

So, it turns out that as a Mom and an employee, I just try my best, no more, no less, to be the best that I can be.

We are continuously striving to increase diversity in all forms at Berwick Partners, and create an environment where everyone is comfortable being themselves. We genuinely celebrate difference and listen to everyone’s opinions and we are delighted to share Corin’s experience.