The ROI of Return-to-Work Coaching: Why Supporting Working Parents is Good for Business
- Laura Duggal
- Nov 11, 2025
- 3 min read
By Laura Duggal
What if your most capable, loyal employees didn’t return after parental leave, not because they’d lost ambition, or capability but because they didn’t feel supported enough to make it work?
For HR leaders, this isn’t rare. Every year, skilled professionals, particularly mothers, step away from promising careers after parental leave, often quietly and reluctantly.
The business impact is huge.
Replacing one experienced employee can cost, on average, between 50 and 200% of their annual salary, and that’s before factoring in lost productivity and the damage to reputation. However, organisations that invest in return-to-work coaching are not only retaining talent and saving on this financial drain, they’re also seeing measurable improvements in confidence, performance, and engagement.
Return-to-work (RTW) coaching is no longer being seen as a perk. It’s a strategic investment that protects your people and your profit.
At Arval UK, a leading vehicle-leasing company, Senior HR Business Partner, Heather Messenger faced a challenge that may sound familiar. Talented new parents were coming back from parental leave feeling isolated, uncertain, and lacking confidence, and the organisation risked losing great people.
Heather and her team listened, through surveys, focus groups, and honest conversations. Employees wanted better communication, flexibility, and space to rebuild their confidence.
In response, Arval UK enhanced its parental policies alongside introducing 1:1 maternity and parental return-to-work coaching. The impact has been clear:
Retention of female talent increased.
Returners reported feeling more confident and proactive.
The gender pay gap is narrowing.
As Heather explains:
“People told us coaching was a game-changer, it helped them regain their confidence, renegotiate home responsibilities, and reconnect with their careers.”
When you’re seeking senior-leadership buy-in, your case needs to go beyond wellbeing, and show a measurable return.
Here’s how maternity and parental return-to-work coaching delivers strong ROI:
1. Retention Saves Real Money
The average UK cost to replace an employee is £30,000, or 6–9 months’ salary for mid-level roles.If coaching helps even a small number of returners stay, your organisation saves tens (or hundreds) of thousands of pounds annually, not to mention protecting organisational knowledge and team stability.
2. Faster Return to Full Performance
After an extended leave, confidence and focus can take time to rebuild. Coaching shortens this period, helping employees reach full productivity faster.
3. Higher Engagement and Psychological Safety
Coaching gives returning parents a confidential, structured space to explore the personal and professional challenges of returning to work. This builds self-belief, clarity, and stronger communication with their line managers, leading to higher engagement and lower absenteeism.
4. Strengthening Gender Balance and Inclusion
The data tells a powerful story:
44 % of mothers feel more ambitious after having children.*
Yet 79 % face barriers to progression.*
Within three years, 85 % leave full-time work, reducing female leadership representation and widening the gender pay gap.*
Return-to-work coaching helps reverse this trend, enabling women to stay, progress, and lead. Many forward-thinking employers are now extending coaching to fathers too, supporting their wellbeing and reducing burnout.
*Research from Careers After Babies Report – The Uncomfortable Truth.
5. Enhancing Employer Brand
Organisations that actively support parents’ return stand out. Coaching signals modern, people-centred leadership, something that matters to both current staff and future hires.
Building the Business Case: A Framework for HR
To gain executive buy-in, frame return-to-work coaching as an evidence-based retention and performance initiative. To do this:
Show your data: Start with your current parental return and attrition rates.
Quantify the cost of turnover: Apply the £30k benchmark (or your internal figure).
Model savings: Demonstrate the ROI if coaching reduces attrition by even 20 %.
Capture qualitative impact: Gather testimonials and engagement feedback from pilot participants.
Link to strategy: Align coaching outcomes with corporate goals, inclusion, retention, engagement, and employer reputation.
The International Coaching Federation reports a median ROI of 7× the investment, and when you combine this with reduced turnover costs and improved productivity, the financial argument becomes very compelling.
Coaching as Culture, Not a ‘Nice-to-Have’
Organisations like Arval UK have shown that return-to-work coaching isn’t a standalone benefit, it’s part of a culture that listens, supports, and invests in its people.
By embedding coaching within your parental support framework, alongside other initiatives such as parent networks, manager training, and flexible working, you create an environment where employees feel valued and stay for the long term.
The Bottom Line
The cost of doing nothing is far higher than the cost of coaching.
When your returning employees feel confident, supported, and seen, they perform better, stay longer, and contribute more meaningfully.
Further support
Want to explore how coaching could help your organisation retain talent and close the gender gap?
Book a consultation call to discuss a tailored return-to-work coaching solution that supports your people and strengthens your business.
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