While there has been progress, motherhood and the workplace need improvements.

Just ahead of Mother’s Day, it’s prime time to examine the changing M Factor influencing the role motherhood plays in the workplace. Some say it is changing for the better. Some say it is the same.

Others say mothering in this culture—often referred to as the Motherhood Penalty—is worse, thanks to COVID and economic factors forcing women to take on traditional roles.

“Just ahead of #MothersDay, it’s prime time to examine the changing M Factor influencing the role #motherhood plays in the #workplace.”

And those who voluntarily embrace the “trad wife” role newly popularized on TikTok, say that full-time parenting when not working remotely or out of the house is a welcome return to the 1950s era of stay at home moms. Still, some trad wives find themselves without options if they face divorce.

Trad wife roles are also under scrutiny in the new Amazon Prime series, “Expats,” where the extremely wealthy wives do not work outside the home—or palace in these cases.

Positive steps forward for mothers working outside the home include recent legislation, according to SHRM. The Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers (PUMP) Act “mandates that employers provide dedicated break times for nursing mothers to express breast milk, as well as a private place to pump that is not a bathroom.”

Additionally, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) requires “employers to provide accommodations for limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission proposed regulations in August to implement the PWFA.”

But the Childcare Stabilization Act introduced by President Joe Biden in June 2023 that asks for $6 billion in federal funding for childcare workers has not been passed.

This is at a time in history where women are working now more than ever before. More than 77.8 percent of women ages 25 to 54 are working or job-hunting. SHRM reports, “Many mothers of small children are landing jobs at record rates. “

“This is at a time in history where women are working now more than ever before. #workplace #genderequity”

For all parents, childcare is an enormous concern. SHRM reports, “62 percent of companies cit[e] child care as a reason they're seeing employees leave.”

"Kids get sick, kids have needs, and mom is our first job no matter what," Leighana Marino, mom of four and talent member of The Mom Project tells SHRM. "A company that supports mom is a company that appreciates what we do and what we are capable of, and I respect that."

Mothers who work outside the home report that high-quality childcare is extremely expensive. According to the Associated Press, “government assistance is limited, and daycare openings are sometimes hard to find at all. In 2022, more than 1 in 10 young children had a parent who had to quit, turn down or drastically change a job in the previous year because of child care problems. And that burden falls most on mothers, who shoulder more child-rearing responsibilities and are far more likely to leave a job to care for kids.”

“Mothers who work outside the home report that high-quality #childcare is extremely expensive.”

Millions of women in this country are affected by this lack of childcare. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2022, the labor participation rate for all mothers with children under age 18 was 73%.

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that when childcare is interrupted, almost half of working mothers use vacation or sick days to care for children. Data shows 46% supervise children while they are working and 42% cut their work hours to take care of their children.

And the stereotype of the disorganized mother in the workplace is still on the minds of many. Julie Powers writes in Motherly, when a colleague expressed surprised that she looked so put-together, “Is it a compliment to acknowledge that her perception of me doesn’t fit the norm of a working mother of young children? What if I did show up frazzled, with soggy Cheerios in my hair, Matchbox cars rattling at the bottom of my purse as I fumbled to find my keys?”

“The #stereotype of the disorganized mother in the #workplace is still on the minds of many.”

In the UK, a report by the Fawcett Society shows that this outdated image of mothers penalizes them in the workforce. The Guardian reports, close to 250,000 “working mothers of children aged four or under leave their employer.” One in 10 quit because of factors involving childcare.

Guardian reports, “A lack of flexible working arrangements and affordable childcare combined with ‘outdated and toxic attitudes around motherhood’” were holding women back, said Fawcett’s chief executive, Jemima Olchawski.

Another 2023 study in the UK of the perceived motherhood penalty shows, “that women and mothers are under-represented in high quality jobs and over-represented in poor quality jobs. While some mothers sacrifice career prospects for flexibility, motherhood is not always associated. Job quality gaps are larger for mothers of school-aged children, pointing to the additional constraints of managing work and childcare around the school day.”

Four years out from the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, women are still the hardest hit economically, following the Great Resignation and the Great Reboot.

“Four years out from the first wave of the #COVID-19 pandemic, women are still the hardest hit economically. #greatresignation”

Because of COVID, “Women had more mental health issues and impacts on their jobs,” says Lisa Dinella, professor of psychology and Director of the Gender and Intersectionality Studies at Monmouth University and Principal Investigator of the Gender Development Laboratory.

Still, “They had a stronger need of coping strategies than men. We were surprised by the volume and how consistent these were around the globe. Women—particularly mothers—reported an increase in financial responsibilities, and they were expressing more strain in the workplace,” Dinella says.

In a study of 2,000 men and women, Dinella says, “There were factors that made some women experience more difficulty.” Those factors included caretaking of children and elders, home schooling, increased home duties and job insecurity.

And on a stress level of 1 to 3 women “were over-represented in moderate to higher rates of depression and anxiety,” Dinella says.

In a recent study at the University of Virginia and the University of Southern California, researchers found “a 10% increase in Work From Home and an increase in mothers’ employment relative to that of other women. This result is even more pronounced in fields traditionally considered less family-friendly. These findings underscore the pivotal role of WFH in talent attraction and retention, especially for working mothers,” Brian Heger reports.

The most recent 2024 Deloitte’s Women @ Work: A Global Outlook, in a survey of 5,000 women in workplaces across 10 countries, shows a stagnation in progress for working women and especially mothers.

Deloitte reports a rise in “women’s disproportionate share of domestic responsibilities, including a sharp rise in those caring for another adult, is taking a toll on their careers and mental health.”

“The #tradwife trend is not well-received everywhere. ”

And the trad wife trend is not well-received everywhere. “Women are feeling the weight of misbalanced caregiving and domestic responsibilities. Notably, 50% of women who live with a partner and have children say they take the most responsibility for childcare—up from 46% in 2023, with only 12% saying this falls to their partner,” according to Deloitte. “And nearly half say they have taken time off work for mental health reasons in the past year, compared with just under a quarter of women who don’t have the greatest responsibilities for these tasks.”

The overall result presents challenges for women in the workplace who are looking to rise in their careers and their professions. “Only 27% of women who bear the greatest responsibility at home say they can disconnect from their personal life and focus on their careers.”

“The overall result presents challenges for women in the #workplace who are looking to rise in their #careers and their professions.”

HerMoney asked 10 mothers working outside of the home how they are dealing with motherhood personally and professionally.

Carrie A. Boan, a NeuroLife Coach and mother, tells HerMoney, “We need to take care of ourselves in order to do the very best for our children. That is what I found is the most effective way to juggle being a mother, business owner, employee, and still have a happy life.”

Leadership Takeaway of the Week

"A company that supports mom is a company that appreciates what we do and what we are capable of, and I respect that" — Leighana Marino, mom of four and talent member of The Mom Project.

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About the Author

Michele Weldon is editorial director of Take The Lead, an award-winning author, journalist, emerita faculty in journalism at Northwestern University and a senior leader with The OpEd Project. @micheleweldon www.micheleweldon.com