5 ways workplaces are failing new mothers - and how we can flip the narrative
New research shows a third of working mothers are at breaking point.
More than half of mothers who have returned to work after a baby say they weren’t satisfied with the support they got when they went back, according to new research from The Female Lead and Peanut published today.
More than a third (35%) of mothers in the UK and US who have gone back to work in the last five years feel their work set-up is unsustainable.
Of those, a staggering 47% plan to leave their jobs in the next year as a result of feeling unsupported.
The From Labour Ward to Labour Force report surveyed over 8,000 women in 100 countries.
It found that while the pandemic shone a spotlight on flexible working, returning to work still isn't working for many mothers.
🚨 5 ways workplaces are failing returning mothers
The report reveals solutions by showing what returning mothers most want to feel supported at work - and the powerful effects for companies to give that to them.
Flexibility around unexpected childcare responsibilities came out as a top wish, closely followed by the offer of flexible hours.
And the third top benefit - requested by more than half - was simply wanting to be asked what they needed.
A fifth of returning mothers thought encouraging men to take more parental leave is the best action employers could take to help mothers at work long-term.
The report homes in on the gaps between the kinds of support mothers want, and how often they are actually offered them.
The biggest “satisfaction gaps” were found for:
Flexible hours
(75% wanted this vs 42% were offered it)
Being them what support they actually wanted
(52% wanted this vs 21% being offered it)
Flexibility around unexpected childcare responsibilities
(77% wanted this vs 49% being offered it)
Connecting them to other parents
(30% wanted this vs 6% being offered it)
A space for breast-pumping
(28% wanted this vs 9% being offered it)
In only one area - mental health support - was the percentage of mothers being offered a benefit higher than the number who wanted it.
🧑🍼 How it really feels for mothers going back to work
Mothers mainly return to work for financial reasons, but more than half said they went back for a sense of personal fulfilment (56%), independence (45%) or to achieve their career goals (44%).
Yet despite seeking fulfilment, the transition is far from rewarding for many. They said they felt anxious (74%), tired (70%) and overwhelmed (63%) when they went back.
They struggled to balance work and home life, with 73% saying they had feelings of guilt.
The majority (73%) told us they had difficulty juggling childcare responsibilities. A third felt underestimated at work and the same proportion said they were perceived as being less committed to their job than before they had children.
A quarter said they were overlooked for development opportunities or promotion.
🎉 The good news - we can change this
The report reveals evidence that when returning mothers get the support they need, they are happier and more productive at work.
Of the mothers in the survey who felt supported at work, 70% felt more loyal to their company as a result. Two thirds said they would recommend their company to others and stay longer than those who didn’t feel supported.
Women who felt most supported by their employer or colleagues had higher levels of positive feelings when returning to work.
They felt more excited, energised and calm and less stressed. They were more likely to say that having a child has had a positive effect on their career, and needed less time to adjust to returning to work.
Edwina Dunn OBE, founder of The Female Lead, said: “Four out of five women will have a baby at some point in their lives. Work and family collide in a way they may have never experienced.
“We want to flip the ‘Motherhood penalty’ on its head. We believe employers are missing a ‘motherhood reward’: a set of steps to invest in mothers and supercharge them through this difficult transition period, resulting in business wins. The facts show that when women are encouraged and feel seen, they have a sense of greater confidence and enjoyment - and are better employees as a result.”
