Maternity leave can be a stressful, lonely time for new parents. It’s all-consuming to look after a newborn and adjust to life as a mum, and it can be extremely difficult to spend whole days without seeing or speaking to other people.

Keep in touch days, known as KIT days, can be a good way to ease your way back into work. In the UK, you can agree to work for your employer for up to 10 days during your parental leave — whether you are an employee or self-employed — without losing any maternity leave or pay.

However, only 38% of organisations encourage new parents to take these optional KIT days during parental or adoption leave, research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development found. Nearly one in 10 employers say they allow it, but don’t encourage it.

Not only are KIT days a good way to earn some extra money, they can also help mums transition back into work — making it less of a shock to the system when they finish maternity leave.

But it’s important to use these days in the right way, as they can easily add an extra layer of stress onto new parents.

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“KIT days are an invaluable way of easing yourself back into work following parental leave,” says Ayesha Murray, a career coach for working parents. “They can get you back into the right headspace, help you reconnect with colleagues and also get some of that built-up admin out of the way.”

Benefits of KIT days

You can work up to 10 days throughout your maternity leave, but you need to agree with your employer beforehand. You’ll need to make a plan for how many days you want to work, the type of work you’ll do, and how much you’ll be paid for the work.

It still counts as a full keeping in touch day even if you only work half a day, for example, by going to a meeting or a training session.

It's important to remember that if you work more than 10 keeping in touch days, your maternity leave — as well as the pay — will automatically end.

“KIT days are a really effective way of rebuilding your confidence before going back to work. Informal catch ups with colleagues remind you of the joy of adult conversation, of being part of a team and of taking charge of your career again,” says Murray.

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“You get paid for your KIT days, always an added bonus after the parental leave pay stops. Using the time to catch up on team or company changes means you return to work feeling part of the organisation again. And they can be a great test run for childcare logistics and for dealing with any feelings of guilt due to leaving your baby at home.”

For Sarah, who works in PR, KIT days were a helpful way to get used to leaving her son in the care of others. She worked one day every couple of weeks in the final few months of her maternity leave. “I was nervous about it, but it worked out well. I used my KIT days to attend a few meetings — I was able to stay in the loop with what was happening at work and I could catch up with work friends too,” she says.

Downsides of KIT days

If you feel overwhelmed by the stress of parenting, you’re not alone. Many new mums feel like they’re at breaking point, with more than a third of women struggling with postnatal anxiety. Sometimes, adding work into the mix can make things more stressful, which is why it’s important to only take KIT days if you want and feel able to.

Heading back to work — even for the occasional day — can also feel overwhelming.

“KIT days can quickly remind us that our leave is coming to an end, which is an exciting but daunting next chapter,” says Murray.

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“You might have to commute again, something which always takes time to get used to. And being back in the office, even for a few sporadic days can feel unsettling especially if there have been changes in your absence.”

How to make KIT days work for you

If you want to use your KIT days, it’s important to speak to your employer before you go on maternity leave.

You don’t have to decide exactly when you’ll work — as you may want to change the dates, depending on how you’re coping with new parenthood.

“Employers should be flexible if childcare issues arise. It’s also important to be open to the best ways to use the KIT days, for example, team meetings, organisational updates, mandatory training or catching up with colleagues over a coffee,” says Murray.

“KIT days are more commonly used towards the end of leave, supporting your new mum to transition back to work as seamlessly as possible.”

Before working, agree how much you’ll be paid by your employer. Normally, you’ll get paid your usual daily wage — this will be worked out if you’re in a salaried job. Crucially, being paid less than you normally would get for doing the same thing could be discrimination.

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