Case Study: Women Returners - British Airways

British Airways has 13,500 cabin crew of which 67% are female. An average of 500 can be on maternity leave at any one time. The airline is keen to encourage employees to return to work after having a baby to retain existing skills and experience and because a high retention rate helps to reduce training costs.

Returning to flying after starting a family involves important decisions about work and childcare. This is particularly true for cabin crew who are away from home on a regular basis, which can make planning childcare arrangements more difficult. With so many cabin crew experiencing similar circumstances, more structured support was put into place through a Working Parents Group.

A range of advice, information and support is available:

• Seminar "From Here to Maternity" is for crew who are pregnant and about to go on maternity leave, offering advice about nutrition, stress awareness and possible childcare options.
• Seminar "Back to the Future" gives crew about to return to work the opportunity to meet other working mums and discuss scheduling arrangements, nurseries, healthcare, or any other issues causing concern.
• The Network Support Group puts employees in touch with other working crew who are parents in their local area and gives them the chance to consider nanny sharing or baby-sitting circles.
• Online support through the intranet, including childcare options and a newsletter
• A phased return to work on a part-time basis is available: 50% in first year and 75% in second year.

In 2005 the cabin crew maternity return rate was 90%, slightly higher than the overall corporate British Airways rate of 88%. Statistics for 2006 show an increase in the cabin crew return rate to 92%, compared with 90% for BA overall

Following on from the success of these courses for cabin crew, similar courses will be rolled out for all employees across the business in the autumn of 2007.