How to Support Working Mothers at Work

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 (not just says it does) Most companies claim to support working mothers. Then they schedule mandatory meetings at 6 PM. Reward those who respond to Slack at 10 PM. Quietly pass over mothers for promotions because they're "not as available." At Supersourcing, we designed our operations differently. Not as a perk. As infrastructure. Because I'm a working mother. I know exactly where traditional companies fail. And I refused to replicate that here. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:   - 𝗡𝗼 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟱 𝗣𝗠. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿. Because evenings are for family, rest, and life. If something needs discussion, we plan it during working hours. - 𝗙𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝘅𝗲𝗱 𝟵 𝘁𝗼 𝟲. We only need overlap for collaboration. Outside that, you should be able to work around school pickups, appointments, and your own routine. - 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱. We do not reward “who stayed online the longest.” We reward who delivered, who solved problems, and who moved work forward. - 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. If someone says, “I have my kid’s school event,” it is not seen as an excuse. It is treated like any other important commitment. - 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗸𝗶𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗸. Kids fall sick without warning. So we adjust. No guilt. No pressure. You take care of home, and we plan work accordingly. - 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲. Not “policy for documents.” Real leave that people feel safe to take, without fear that they will be sidelined later. - 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮. We do not promote based on who is always online. We promote based on skills, ownership, outcomes, and how you help the team grow. It's not "women get special treatment." It's designing work that respects full humanity for everyone. It's not a favor. It's how sustainable companies operate. You can't claim to support working mothers while designing operations that punish them for parenting. Support isn't a policy. It's operational design. 💙 #WorkingMothers #CompanyCulture #BuildingWhileBeing #Leadership #Supersourcing #WorkLifeIntegration

Postpartum Allyship: Recognizing that postpartum mothers’ organizational reentry is fraught with physical, emotional, and psychological challenges, and engaging in specific behaviors to support and advocate for working mothers during their reentry process. In our work, David Smith and I find that Aspiring Allies for #GenderEquity and #GenderEquality need to work at constantly refreshing their evidence-based GQ (Gender Intelligence). Here is my GQ update recommendation for this week, an important piece of research from Nitya Chawla and her colleagues on ally behaviors that matter during what they describe as the #FifthTrimester of the pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum period. "the fifth trimester as the period during which the #workingmother is born...this period is marked by mothers grappling with the “working mother” identity that is fraught with incongruity between the ‘ideal worker’ and ‘mother’ roles, surfacing concerns ranging from whether they can effectively enact both the worker and mother roles to whether colleagues perceive them to be less committed to work." Here are just a few of the ally behaviors that ultimately helped mothers in this study report lower turnover intentions, lead enriched family lives (work-family capital), and preserve their well-being (lower postpartum depressive symptoms): Co-Navigating the HR Infrastructure: ·        helped me interpret HR policies for parents in a compassionate way. ·        shared their knowledge about HR policies for parents. ·        encouraged me to advocate for myself with HR. Creating Physical Spaces for Motherhood: ·        supported my choice to work remotely. ·        allowed me to bring my baby to work when needed. ·        ensured I had access to a suitable lactation room. Creating Temporal Spaces for Motherhood: ·        allowed me to craft my transition back from parental leave. ·        enabled me to have daily schedule flexibility without judgment. ·        structured breaks in meetings for me. ·        gave me wholehearted permission to establish boundaries between work and family. ·        took on elements of my work when I needed help. ·        took notes for me during meetings I missed when attending to my baby’s needs. Validating Both Her Worker and Mother Identities: ·        allocated work to me as a valuable contributor to our workgroup. ·        celebrated my return to work. ·        expressed confidence in my work capabilities. ·        acknowledged the struggle of being a new mother at work. ·        compassionately listened to my experiences as a mother. ·        asked about the development of my baby. Workplace Allies #goodguys #athenarising #menasallies #maleallies #womenleaders

I’m fired up by the flood of posts demanding better paid leave, childcare, and maternal health—especially in light of the underwhelming White House birth rate proposals. To HR leaders and employers: It’s not your job to increase the birth rate—but you do have the power to make your workplace a safe, supportive space for working parents. Here are 10 strategies to start (from a former HR exec): 1. Parent ERGs A place to connect, share advice, and host expert-led sessions. Bring in speakers like Michelle Yu or Kelly Ling to help expecting parents plan for parental leave. 2. Paid leave policies Implement paid leave for birthing, non-birthing, adoption, pregnancy loss, medical, and disability. 3. Mental health support Platforms like BetterHelp or Seven Starling can help ease overwhelm. 4. Fertility benefits In the U.S., 12-15% of couples experience infertility. Support all paths to parenthood with Carrot Fertility or Maven Clinic. 5. Financial wellness Consider platforms like Aura Finance and StorkFund or speakers like Financial Doula to empower families with financial education and planning. 6. Flexible work schedules 67% of families have two working parents. Help them manage both roles. 7. Pump-friendly policies Create a private, comfortable space in the office for moms. For remote, avoid enforcing cameras on—especially for moms who have to pump or parents who have to field sick days. 8. Stipends for wellness/learning Let them choose how to invest—especially before/after parental leave. Reimburse them for parental leave coaching through platforms like Josie, Leona, or Parentaly. 9. Mom-friendly travel policies Traveling as a breastfeeding mom is cumbersome - support with Milk Stork or childcare travel reimbursements. 10. Manager training Teach prioritization to prevent burnout and support parents effectively. --- Need help bringing this to life? I advise companies on how to turn these ideas into reality—happy to connect.

The overwhelming response to my last post on motherhood and the guilt working moms feel while raising little humans truly surprised me. So many of you shared your personal stories about the challenges of juggling motherhood and a career. This outpouring of responses has left me asking: Why, in 2024, is this still such a struggle? How do we bring our male counterparts into the conversation? What can we do to invest in working families—both moms and dads—to create better work-life balance? Is it possible to prioritize raising the next generation and company profits? And how can we lean into compassionate leadership to address these challenges? These are tough questions, no doubt. But wouldn’t we all agree that solving some of these problems would create a more engaged, productive, and successful workforce? I have a few ideas: 1. Flexible Work Arrangements Offering flexible hours or remote options leads to better work-life balance. We proved during the pandemic that this can work—so why the rush back to the office? Let’s get creative with non-standard hours, part-time roles, and other options that support new moms, rather than forcing them into rigid schedules in office. 2. Paid Parental Leave and Improved PTO Policies Allowing parents time to adjust to new family dynamics without financial stress is an investment in our people. Encourage both parents to use parental leave—quit making men feel guilty for taking time with their newborn.  Pair that with an unlimited PTO policy (yes, I said it, I believe it, I practice it!). Your employees won’t abuse it; instead, they’ll appreciate the freedom to be present for their families when it matters most. 3. Supportive Return to Work Returning to work after having a baby is one of the hardest things for a new mom. Let’s ease this transition with phased returns, mentorship programs, flexible work arrangements, lactation rooms, mental health support, and family counseling. 4. Childcare Subsidies Childcare can cost as much as a mortgage payment, making it unaffordable for many parents to return to work. We should invest in our employees by offering financial assistance. When we adopted our son, my company helped with legal fees—why not offer similar support for childcare? 5. Cultural Shift We need to normalize and prioritize work-life balance. Respect personal and family time and eliminate the unspoken expectation of after-hours work. Celebrate parenthood and remove the stigma around taking time for family responsibilities. I truly believe these are solvable issues, so why are we still seeing women leave the workforce in 2024 because they can’t balance work and family? I’d love to hear your thoughts—and gauge interest in coming together to create an actionable playbook that we can promote and adopt. Insurance is an industry that exists to protect people's most valuable assets. Compassion is in our DNA. Why not channel that same energy into solving this issue for our employees?

If you REALLY want to support women in the workplace, you need to start: → Offering flexible work arrangements, especially to support mothers. → Encouraging women to go for internal promotions → Paying women fairly and transparently → Creating environments where women’s voices are heard → Calling out microaggressions and biases when you see them → Offering leadership training and mentorship for women → Rethinking how performance and ambition are measured (not just who shouts the loudest) → Making networking and career progression opportunities accessible to all → Championing women even when they’re not in the room → Reviewing your hiring and promotion processes to eliminate bias → Creating policies that support women through all life stages (not just maternity leave) → Holding senior leaders accountable for diversity and inclusion goals → Ensuring workplace policies support women’s health, including menopause and period policies International Women’s Day should be about real, tangible action. Too often, we see businesses celebrating IWD while their leadership teams are still male-dominated, pay gaps persist and workplace policies don’t support women’s real needs. So, if you’re a business leader, hiring manager, or even a colleague... Ask yourself: What are you actually doing to make the workplace more equitable for women? 🤔

Are you a line manager of someone who's children are on school holidays? Here are ten things you can do to support them through the next 6 weeks: 💡 Give them flextime so they can choose the hours and days they work. If that means they need to work from 6-9am and 7-10pm...let them do it 💡 Alternatively, offer core hours, no more than three a day, where they have to be at work. Avoid this being in the middle of the day so they can still take the kids out for a run to the park or a play date 💡 Make sure any mandatory meetings are planned way in advance so they have time to make childcare arrangements 💡 If you're an organisation that has a daily check in, consider relaxing it for summer. Maybe one or two will suffice? 💡 Offer any financial support you can for clubs, childcare, etc and remind people about childcare vouchers 💡 Talk about family! Encourage people to open up and share about their caring responsibilities - it's a cultural game changer 💡 Quash any chat about "why working parents have time off when we don't" - it's humiliating and unhelpful and the people it's coming from are likely to join the rest of the 83% of the population that have kids one day 💡 Be clear about when you need a response on something. If you need it immediately, say that. If it can wait a couple of days, say that too. 💡 Trust them! They want to do a good job for you even though they have children, but balancing the two most important things in their lives is hard 💡 Don't be another pressure! This is your chance to evidence that their wellbeing and stress levels matter to you. If you can enable them, rather than make things worse, you will undoubtedly reap the benefits later on. As line managers you are the crunch point. You will determine the experience they have in your workplace. Understand, empathise and enable! I'd love to hear how you're supporting your people through the holidays, add your comments below! #LineManagers #WorkingParents #CareersAfterBabies #WorkingFamilies

The National Vital Statics Report on U.S. birth trends has been released. This year has shown a decrease in overall birth rates, with significant patterns in age-specific fertility and prenatal care dynamics. Such insights not only shed light on public health strategies but also provide a crucial lens through which employers can enhance workplace policies. Key findings: -A decline in the general fertility rate and specific decreases across different age groups. -A notable reduction in early prenatal care and smoking during pregnancy. -Changes in delivery methods, including a slight increase in cesarean rates. -Stability in Medicaid as a primary source for delivery payments, indicating the ongoing importance of supportive healthcare policies. Employers play a pivotal role in supporting the workforce, especially expectant and new parents. Here are 10 strategic solutions that can be implemented to foster a supportive work environment: 1- Flexible Working Hours: Adapt work schedules to accommodate prenatal appointments and postpartum needs. 2- Remote Work Options: Provide options for telecommuting to help manage pregnancy-related fatigue and doctor's visits. 3- Extended Parental Leave: Offer more generous leave policies to support parental bonding and childcare. 4- Fertility Benefits: Enhance healthcare coverage to fertility care. 5- Onsite Childcare: Establish or subsidize childcare facilities at or near the workplace to ease the burden on working parents or increased daycare funds. 6- Employee Assistance Programs: Offer programs that provide counseling and support for prenatal and postnatal care. 7- Education and Training: Conduct workshops on family planning, prenatal health, and parenting to educate employees. 8- Support for Breastfeeding Mothers: Provide private, comfortable spaces for breastfeeding and allow breaks as needed. 9-Return-to-Work Programs: Create phased return-to-work options for new parents to ease the transition while maintaining career trajectories. 10- Wellness Programs: Implement programs focused on maternal health and stress management to support overall well-being. As we move forward, understanding and adapting to the evolving demographic trends will be key in crafting effective corporate policies that align with the needs of a diverse workforce. What is your organization doing to support families? List it in the comments ⬇️ #employeebenefits #parentalsupport

I'll never forget when a top performer on the team, let's call her Sara, came to my desk almost a year ago. She had a warm glow about her, and I could tell before she even said a word the exciting news she was going to share. With a beaming yet nervous smile, she told me she was pregnant with their first child. In that moment when Sara shared the news, I could see a whirlwind of emotions across her face. The pure joy, and also the nervousness and the guilt she was feeling. Her mind was racing with doubts of whether she will be "mommy-tracked" - Will she be able to continue on her current highly demanding project? - Will she stop being considered for promotion in the upcoming cycle? - Will she have access to new opportunities? - Will she be perceived as not being ambitious? In other words, will she become a "liability" on the company's balance sheet? I'll admit, even the most well-meaning leaders can slip into this unproductive mindset and wrestle with whether she'll still be as "committed" and "dedicated" once Baby arrives. The scene is all too familiar of a hiring or promotion panels where the questions get discussed about the woman's ability, willingness and utility in the "current state". Pregnant women and new mothers are 50% more likely to get passed over for promotions. Studies indicate 43% of highly qualified women with children leave careers or off-ramp for a period of time. This is a brain-drain we cannot afford! How can leaders change that negative narrative and proactively prioritize supporting new and expecting mothers? First, neutralize any guilt. Make it clear, from the outset, that her pregnancy & motherhood is something positive to be celebrated, not a hurdle or inconvenience. Assure her that this an exciting milestone, not a roadblock to her aspirations. Secondly, expect that she is committed through her pregnancy and will return to work. Create a plan and a structure for the leave and ramp up into the role upon returning to work. Finally, and most importantly, take a long term view of the person. Remember this - well supported mothers are driven, resilient, and loyal employees who outperform their peers on several metrics important to companies. The company's success depends on creating high performing engaged team - don't lose sight of that. This approach enabled Sara, and countless other women in my experience, to return energized with renewed purpose and advocacy other working parents. The corporate world is long overdue for an attitude shift around this topic. With open minds, flexibility and ardent cheerleading, we can build vibrant workforces that retain and celebrate parents. Because trying to sideline half the workforce is just bad business! #LeadWithLove Shreya, Sattwika, Shwet, Neelima, Svetlana, Anuja, Elakshi, Rohini, Mrunali, Dipita, Nalina, Anjali, Neeti, Jui, Akanksha, Francesca, Priya

Go ahead and say Happy Mother's Day today. But also: -advocate to give her autonomy over when she becomes a mom. -advocate to give her paid parental leave to focus on her child when she becomes a mom. -advocate for paid parental leave for ALL parents to promote shared parenting responsibilities so women aren't the default parent. -advocate for affordable childcare so she doesn't have to choose between her career and being a mother. -advocate for equal pay so she isn't paid less for doing the same work -advocate for fertility benefits in your workplace so those who want to become moms have a path that meets them where they are. -advocate for a flexible workplace that accommodates the unique needs of all mothers so they can take care of themselves as well as their families. It's great to take a day to appreciate mothers or thank them or make them feel special. But make sure it's paired with advocacy for policies that will help moms thrive and have choice at home and in the workplace.

'Must be nice to take some time off just for you' 'Getting paid to do nothing - you’ve got it made' 'Have a lovely break....' The most expensive job in the world? You won’t find it on a payroll. Mothers return to work physically healing, emotionally stretched, and financially behind. Yet they’re often told: “Welcome back! Hope it was a nice break.” Here’s the truth: Maternity leave isn’t a perk. It’s unpaid infrastructure - quietly powering the workforce. And it’s often supported with policies that look generous on paper, but fall short in practice. What we usually see: 📸 Baby photos 💻 Zoom farewells 🗓 A few weeks “off” What’s actually happening: 🩺 Physical recovery from childbirth 😵💫 Sleep deprivation 🌧 Postpartum depression 🎢 Hormonal whiplash 🪞 Identity loss 🧗♀️ A long, invisible climb back to “normal” We designed work for uninterrupted workers. But life doesn’t work that way. The data is clear: 📊 A study of 300,000 pregnancies showed recovery can take up to a year 🔥 81% of working mothers report burnout (Gallup) ⏱ In the U.S., 23% return to work within 10 days 💸 Mothers earn 3% less per child (15% less than a childless man) 📉 In Australia, earnings drop 53% within 5 years of childbirth. Melinda Gates calls this “the greatest unpaid labor crisis of our time.” The OECD labels it “a structural drag on growth.” This isn’t just unfair - it’s unsustainable. If you're leading a company, ask yourself: Are your systems designed for reality, or for a 1950s household model that no longer exists? Here’s what progressive companies are doing differently: ✅ Offer fully paid leave - not just the legal minimum ✅ Support access to high-quality, affordable childcare ✅ Make flexibility standard - not a special request ✅ Encourage all parents to take leave, not just mothers ✅ Check the culture beneath the policy ↳ Do parents feel safe to log off? ↳ Are they supported or sidelined? This isn’t about blame. It’s about updating the system to match how people actually live and work. Because when we build for mothers - We build for resilience, retention, and long-term performance. ♻️ Share this with a founder rethinking workplace design 🔔 Follow Si Conroy for progressive leadership and org strategy 📩 Subscribe to ‘Progressive Group Therapy’ for the next evolution of work: https://lnkd.in/eTZq6A5D Thanks to the amazing Katie Guild & Rachel Carrell for the inspiration.