Abstract
BACKGROUND: Work-family balance has emerged as one of the influencing factors for the physical and mental health of working mothers and their children. AIMS: The present study aimed to understand the experiences and perspectives of working mothers on maternity leave and return to work after childbirth. This cross-sectional survey was conducted in three major cities in southeastern Iran. METHODS: Working mothers who had at least one live birth during the 3 years prior to the survey, aged between 18 and 49 years, and living with their husbands were enrolled using a consecutive sampling method. The sampling framework consisted of all government workplaces that had at least 30 female employees. Using a validated anonymous questionnaire consisting of demographic and attitude variables, we assessed the working mothers' experiences and perspectives regarding the quantity and nature of the last maternity leave and how supportive their workplace was. Descriptive statistics with frequencies and percentages were used. To compare categorical variables between groups, the Chi-square test was used. A P value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 22. RESULTS: A total of 900 female employees were invited to participate in the study, and finally, 741 valid questionnaires were analyzed. More than 21% of them reported that the office had changed their position or type of work after returning to work. Women with higher position jobs reported a higher husband's support for baby care (P = 0.03). Almost 51% of mothers agreed their workplace allowed them to use breastfeeding breaks, which was less evident in nurses (P = 0.001). Nearly 86% of them stated that mothering duties are much more important than job-related responsibilities. CONCLUSIONS: Our study identified areas of consideration for investing in family-friendly workplace policies in Iran.