It’s no secret that working mothers and fathers receive different treatment. Fathers are generally applauded for committing to their children before and after work hours. In contrast, mothers are scorned for either taking time off work to stay home with their children or returning to work and leaving their children with a nanny or daycare provider. So why does this happen, and how do we change the views corporate America portrays?
Let’s dive into a few key statistics and open the door for more conversation surrounding working mothers.
About 43% of female workers received no pay for at least one year.
If women take a year off work to stay home with their child or children, they see harsh ramifications when they return. On average, women who returned to the workforce after just one year away received 39% less than women who did not take time off.
Moms work less than dads.
Feeding off our first point, about 96% of fathers remain working after having children, whereas only 78% of mothers return to work. As we saw previously, this time off leads to less money in the future.
Almost one-quarter of working moms turned down a promotion to better balance their home and work lives.
Only 15% of men report the same. Another study shows that about 16% of working moms were not awarded the promotion they deserve because of their children. This means that more mothers were passed over for promotion opportunities than fathers who decided to turn down the job of their own free will.
With just a few numbers, we can see that mothers and fathers are treated differently in the workplace. We believe that it is up to each family to decide what is best for them. If the mother returns to work, that’s great. If she’d prefer to take time to stay home with her children, let her, without compromising her future. The same can be said for fathers. Times have changed, and we think it’s time to acknowledge that.
At ABCO Group, we embrace and promote an inclusive workplace. We respect each other’s opinions and learn from our differences. We are proud to have working mothers on our staff and as partners. This Mother’s Day, we encourage you to reach out to a working mom in your life and let them know that you support their strength.