New survey reveals most-requested workplace changes to ease pressure off working moms
The majority of working mothers in the United States report facing career "penalties" for motherhood, including receiving bias or judgement at work, according to a new survey.
LiveCareer's poll, which covered nearly 1,000 working mums with children under 18, saw that 86% believe that taking maternity leave sets back their advancement or costs them promotions.
Another 95% said they felt excluded from networking opportunities, team events, or business trips due to motherhood.
According to the poll, 73% of working mums feel that they are perceived as less committed or ambitious because they are mothers, and that around 90% feel they must prove their dedication to work in ways fathers do not have to.
"Motherhood is still seen as a professional liability, with many working mums facing missed opportunities, unfair assumptions about their ambition, and a constant need to prove their value in ways their co-workers often do not," the report read.
In addition to these career "penalties", the report found that the majority of working mums also face bias and judgement at work.
The poll found that 93% of working mums have been criticised for taking time off for child-related needs, such as field trips, unexpected emergencies, and school performances. They report that this criticism comes from:
Another 96% said they even faced pushback for consistently leaving work at a set time because of child-related responsibilities. The pushback came from:
"Despite progress in workplace conversations around flexibility and inclusion, many working mothers still face judgement for balancing career and family responsibilities, reinforcing the perception that motherhood is a professional disadvantage," the report read.
To avoid facing these penalties and bias at work, the report found that 87% of working mums have avoided mentioning their children at work.
There are also working mums who had to make sacrifices with their careers amid childcare costs. According to the report, 55% of mums reduced their hours or switched jobs, while 36% left the workforce entirely due to childcare expenses.
More than half of working mothers in the United States are seeking assistance from their employers to ease the pressure off them, according to the report.
Some of their most-requested workplace changes are:
"Working mums are judged not just for how well they do their jobs, but simply for being mothers. Despite some progress, serious strides are needed to create workplaces that actually support mums with flexibility, fairness, and real opportunity," the report read.
