When returning to the workplace after a prolonged break, many professionals are forced to take lower-skilled jobs – but now some employers have started to address the challenge. Two returners tell their stories
When it comes to re-entering the workplace after a substantial time away, many people find themselves struggling to get a job, returning to positions that no longer fit or taking more junior roles. Research suggests that, in the UK, women in particular (three in five women) end up in lower-skilled jobs, experiencing earning reductions of up to a third as a result.
But some employers are starting to recognise the challenge – and the talented potential recruits they might be missing out on. Global bank Citi is one employer attempting to encourage and support valued employees back into the workplace after a career break, with its Reactivate Your Career programme, set up to support experienced professionals back to work following a break of two years or more. (The programme initially began as a pilot in London in 2020, before expanding to Belfast and, due to its success, is currently operating in 13 locations globally.) And while candidates with banking experience are welcomed, many are new to the finance world altogether.
