More than a quarter of working mothers believe that their career progression has slowed as a result of taking parental leave – in comparison to 21% of working fathers - according to research from Totaljobs in partnership with the Fawcett Society. A third of working mothers lost confidence in their skills and abilities after returning to work from parental leave.
The top challenges included, feeling guilty or anxious about leaving their child with childcare, balancing work and childcare responsibilities , and the affordability of childcare.
Over two fifths of mothers felt isolated and disconnected from colleagues upon returning from parental leave (compared to just 28% of working fathers).
30% of mothers reported that they had no support when transitioning back to work, rising to 42% for those who took 26-52 weeks of maternity leave. Only 31% have access to flexible work arrangements, despite this being top of the list of the support they’d find the most useful.
Jane Lorigan, CEO at Totaljobs, said: “Working mothers are an invaluable part of our workforce and economy, and they should be celebrated and supported, not marginalised or excluded. Our research shows that while parents face challenges upon returning from parental leave, these challenges are disproportionately impacting mothers. We urge employers to take this issue seriously and implement policies and practices that foster a culture of inclusion, respect, and flexibility for working mothers and all employees. This will not only benefit individuals, but also organisations and society as a whole.”
Jemima Olchawski, Chief Executive of the Fawcett Society said: The Fawcett Society believes in workplaces that support all women returning to work by providing the appropriate steps to ensure equal opportunities are offered while their flexible needs are met. We call on businesses and government to prioritise ending the motherhood penalty by properly supporting returning mothers to balance their work and caring responsibilities.”
