“Moms have been given the interview advice, ‘don’t mention you’re pregnant or that you are a Mother during an interview.’ We’ve been accepting that the unique gifts we have, the gifts that make the world go around, make us less. Well, it’s time for change, baby! Motherhood is a blessing. And it’s essential that women unite to achieve equity in the workplace,?”said Mary Kay Ziniewicz, Entrepreneur, and Advocate.
The reality is women are still responsible for most of society’s unpaid work. So, we’re underrepresented in the paid workforce. And despite our talent, impact and credentials, the gendered wage and leadership gaps remain. Although more than 80% of women become Moms, they pay the “Motherhood penalty” professionally, even if they don’t have children. But what if organizations became more thoughtful and intentional about hiring and keeping Mothers and caregivers employed? Many of whom are eager to reconnect to their careers and grow their incomes.
Motherhood is Often Treated Like a Career Liability
Although caregiving is part of the human condition and affects most people at some stage in their lives, it disproportionately derails career advancement for women and 43% of Mothers pause or leave the paid workforce to care for kids. But the pressures that have always made it hard, have only worsened post-pandemic.
The childcare and eldercare shortages, not to mention, the growing mental health crisis, threatens to steepen the economic divide. But it’s not just about the money, there’s a lot of identity and purpose tied to our careers. So, failing to find a job after a pause, is not only financially but emotionally devastating.
Which Not Only Harms Finances, But Confidence
Mary Kay’s husband stayed at home for the first 10 years of their daughter’s life. When he returned to work, she brought her consulting business in-house so, she could work from home. She explained, “I got to stand at the bus stop for the first time with the other Mamas in the neighborhood. After the bus left, they’d ask, ‘what are you doing today?’ and I realized all of these women were seeking more. I knew many of them had attempted to go back to work and either got quick rejections or no response at all. Their self-esteem suffered. These are women who are highly experienced, and they struggled to be seen by employers. The automated tracking system didn’t and doesn’t work for them.”
Mothers Bring Incredible Skills to Our Economy
Mary Kay said, “I was connected to my first investor, because he said to my friend during lunch, ‘Moms make the best employees.’ And she said, ‘you need to meet my friend Mary Kay.’ This Mama validation was recognized by the CEO of a global company!”
And studies confirm this, Moms do make great employees. The skills we gain as hands-on parents, like greater emotional intelligence, cognitive flexibility, and empathy, are incredibly valuable in our careers. Most caregivers need flexibility, including Dads and those caring for seniors or adults. But the traditional work schedule was built for the ‘ideal worker.‘ A post-industrial era man with a stay-at-home partner.
And Need Tangible Ways to Deal with the Childcare Crisis
Observing this gap, between employers and Moms seeking work, led Mary Kay to take a novel approach to her business. She pre-negotiates schedule flexibility, between Moms and hiring managers, according to the stage of life their children are in. As she describes, “the car seat, the bus seat, the driver’s seat or beyond.”
Childcare is more expensive than mortgages in most US cities and even those who can afford it, have trouble finding it. And perhaps more importantly, not everyone wants it. So, we need creative solutions for parents who want or need to be in the paid workforce.
Although school is certainly not the same as childcare, especially since it’s not year-round, it offers an incredible opportunity for parents of school-aged kids to have some coverage. The challenge, however, has been with the employers who cling to a dated way of viewing work.
Flexibility Is Part of the Answer
The pandemic exposed what many knew intuitively. That leaders can rethink and rewrite the work rules, even for onsite roles, in ways that better suit the logistical challenges people, especially caregiving people, face daily.
If an organization can pay for childcare, bring it onsite, or allow kids in the workplace, fantastic. But there are also underlying opportunities, like revisiting how much “on time” each role really requires. In general, the more synchronous commitments you have, like meetings, travel, or events, then the less discretion you have over your time.
Real Time Commitments Can Be Reduced
Does every decision require a meeting? No, of course not. And there are many ways to provide status updates and connection points without requiring people to meet in real time. Certain roles allow for less synchronicity. Yet others are extremely synchronous most of the time, i.e. doctors, teachers, nurses, or customer service reps.
But even if the role itself needs to happen in a particular location, which is true for most of the workforce and requires a lot of connection with customers or colleagues, leaders can still get creative with duration.
And Shifts Can be Shortened, With Less ‘On Time’
If a role requires a 10-to-12-hour shift of largely attentive, time, then it leaves many parents out of the equation. After all, if you have to be at work by 6:00 am, who can watch your kids? Unless you are partnered with someone who is at home then, have grandparent care, capable older children to help, or a live-in nanny, there aren’t many options.
But the structure doesn’t have to stay this way. Employers can consider job sharing, shorter shifts (like 4 to 6 hours in duration) and part-time roles, depending on the type of work. Although some roles have bursts of synchronicity (think performers or consultants) and long pauses in between, it’s often the leaders that demand visibility. Usually, in the form of physical or digital presence, to feel like their people are productive. But let’s be clear, appearing busy, does not necessarily equate to productivity. Countless studies show that breaks, pauses and time to reflect lead to more sustainable and creative work.
Because The Economy Needs Women in the Workforce
Mary Kay is intent on removing friction between Moms seeking jobs and hiring managers. “We collect a lot of data on the types of jobs Moms are interested in. And the key characteristics of the job descriptions she is driven by, which is how we create change. Because we share that data with our employers and say, ‘if you want her and want to keep her, this is how you do it.’ So, we help them. The bottom line is smart employers are activating new schedules because the world has shifted in the last ten years. And they need Moms under the roof now more than ever.”
So, Let’s Evolve to Recognize This
Globally, gender inequality leads to an estimated $12 Trillion in lost gross domestic product. And the lack of full workforce participation by women, costs everyone dearly. Mary Kay added, “Giving birth and caring for children is necessary to have an economy. And we haven’t really thought about it that way as women. We’re penalized for this power as opposed to hearing,’?thank you for your service’ for bringing your beautiful children into this world.”
Leaders, let’s usher in a brighter future of work. One where caregiving is valued. And managers are trained to create psychologically safe, flexible spaces in addition to providing the types of employee benefits and policies that support care.
Many thanks to the talented Mary Kay Ziniewicz!
Learn more about her amazing company Bus Stop Mamas. And follow her great adventure on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.
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About Mary Kay:
For over 20 years, Mary Kay Ziniewicz transcended business cultures internally and externally. My footprint is seen in law firms around the country. Most recently, she launched Bus Stop Mamas, a digital platform, that instantly introduces super businesses with super people – moms and dads. They’re called Bus Stop Mamas for obvious reasons – mom tends to interrupt her career for her family. Not always, just mostly – over 40% of women exit their career after their first child is born. Bus Stop Mamas believes mom knows best in what works for her family. That’s why we let her decide. Check us out. You will find an opportunity that works for you and your family schedule too.
