'Flexibility is not synonymous with decreased productivity,' says expert
One third of mothers around the world say their competence has been questioned by employers and colleagues after becoming a parent, according to a survey conducted by Mothers in Science.
The survey also found that women are three times more likely than men to say they have been offered fewer professional opportunities since becoming a parent, and 34 per cent of mothers leave fulltime STEM employment after becoming a parent.
To combat this, employers need to prioritize improving parental leave, as well as caregiving and other supports for women, said Jessica Metcalf, associate professor at Colorado State University.
Adequate caregiving, childcare support
She highlights the need for adequate caregiving and childcare support, along with acknowledging and normalizing workload leave during parental leave and improving parental leave.
At Colorado State University, Metcalf has witnessed women in STEM take parental leave but not be released from their teaching obligations and commitments for the term.
“Depending on the time of year you give birth — for example, at the end of the spring semester — you may not get any teaching release with your parents leave. Instead, the time comes out of the time that would have been spent on research, so there’s a mismatch between being granted time away from work and that time not really being guaranteed because certain commitments are still intact,” she said.
Over time, these pressures can accumulate, ultimately leading to a “gendered effect” on their careers, she said. Metcalf emphasizes the need for an underlying structure and policy that cannot be solved by pilot projects or systems that aren’t permanent.
“I think there's a spectrum starting from how you talk about parental leave and ending with the policies, actual policies,” she said. “A leave policy that makes sense for one group may not work for another group, so it’s not just about having the bare minimum policies, it’s about understanding the gap and the needs of those impacted by it.”
Reducing stigma around flexibility, productivity
Doina Precup, AI Chair for the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, says there are societal assumptions that often hinder women's progress in the workforce, especially in male-dominated fields like STEM.
“This misconception affects perceptions of productivity for mothers and can impact professional pursuits and career development,” she said.
Flexibility is not synonymous with decreased productivity – a misconception that is often present when an employee has a need for accommodations such as adjusted work hours, she said.
A lack of flexibility can also create additional barriers when an employee has to explain their circumstances to an employer – something not all employees may be comfortable with, Precup said.
"Some people translate the need for flexibility into thinking someone isn’t doing the same amount of work, and that may not be accurate," she said. "Flexibility is really, really crucial; it does not have to mean that the person is doing less work or less good work than anybody else.”
The lack of flexibility can have significant repercussions, especially for women re-entering the workforce after a hiatus, and highlights the importance of inclusive policies and supportive workplace environments, she said.
Representation and visibility play a crucial role in breaking down barriers for women in the workplace, Precup said, and creating diverse and inclusive environments with visible role models is essential for inspiring future generations of women in STEM.
"Making sure that there is representation is essential in reducing stigma; until you see the role models and examples of women in these roles, it may be a bit harder to actually believe it,” she said.
The ROI of caregiving benefits
According to a report by Vivvi and The Fifth Trimester, while 67% of survey respondents have considered leaving their job in the last year, 42% of those said stayed specifically because of their employer’s caregiving support. Overall, 59% of respondents said they would plan to stay at their job for at least four years if they had access to backup or subsidized childcare.
The survey also found that respondents reported that their caregiving responsibilities motivate them to be “more productive and efficient” — not less — and when they have support for their caregiving, they meet their goal.
“Workplace support for parenthood drives profits. Contrary to the stereotype of the distracted, overwhelmed, dishevelled mess, our data shows that parents are not ‘quiet quitting’ anything. Their caregiving responsibilities compel them to seek meaning, flexibility, and benefits like childcare specifically because of their ambition to create value.
“The upshot: When businesses support parents’ caregiving needs, they get back their most productive, and profitable work ever,” the report said.
The ability for mothers to have flexibility — whether that be in terms of flexible hours, work from home or hybrid arrangements, stipends to help with childcare costs or even access to daycare through an employer — can help create a more accommodating workplace, Precup said.
“I think it’s actually very useful to consult with employees when it comes to accommodations instead of just making assumptions about what people need,” she said.
“It’s also important to revisit these decisions and improve them over time, as the nature of our jobs change. These should be done with both current and potential employees in mind to improve attraction and retention, especially in domains like STEM where there aren’t that many women who are a part of the workforce.”
