In the U.S., more than a third of women don’t return to work after having a baby. But nearly half of these women surveyed said they might have stayed if their employer had offered more flexibility as they transitioned to motherhood: anything from the opportunity to work remotely as needed, job sharing, compressing work days or customizing daily hours.
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Why it’s essential to support new moms at work
Research shows that female leaders strengthen workplaces. Here’s a look at some policies that can help retain them.
But growing the percentage of new mothers who return to work could have a major impact on a company’s bottom line. One study showed that companies with a higher percentage of women in leadership roles had higher net profit margins. And turnover costs can range from 35 percent of an employee’s salary to up to several years worth of an executive’s salary to replace them.
However, supporting working mothers doesn’t fall solely on the private sector. Many developed countries have seen increased rates of female participation in their workforces in the past 30 years, and some suggest it may be because of stronger paid parental leave laws in those nations. But one developed nation does not fall within this category — and if you’re a working mom in the U.S., you may not be at all surprised by which country it is. Unlike all of the other OECD countries, the United States is the only developed country in the world that provides zero paid maternity leave, and its ranking of female labor participation has slid backwards in the past 30 years as well.
There are countless ways to support new mothers who are returning to work or considering whether or not they even should. And doing so isn’t just beneficial for women – it can be great business too.