How to positively manage return to work after maternity leave: Positive supervisor behaviors to promote working mothers’ well-being

Despite the significance of return to work (RTW) after maternity, evidence describing the specific supervisor behaviors desirable is lacking. This study attempts to contribute to the field by exploring the effects of positive supervisor behaviors in RTW after maternity leave on well-being outcomes in work-ing mothers (WMs). In particular, after the validation of a measure that assesses positive supervisor be-haviors in RTW after maternity leave, we explored whether these behaviors, together with workplace attachment anxiety, are associated with performance and remaining opportunities perceived by WMs, hypothesizing the mediation of work engagement. Data from Italian WMs were analyzed through struc-tural equation modeling. Results confirmed the hypothesized factor structureof the measure and showed that positive supervisor behaviors in RTW after maternity leave are directly and positively as-sociated with performance. Moreover, positive supervisor behaviors in RTW after maternity leave, as well as workplace attachment anxiety, are associated with performance and remaining opportunities via work engagement. Findings are relevant for two reasons. First, they contribute to providing a tool for supervisors to positively manage RTW after maternity leave. Second, they contribute toshedding light on the importance of being inclusive, proactive, and supportive in managing RTW after maternity leave, without neglecting WMs’ personal factors. The practical implications of these findings are dis-cussed.