Zetyโs new report reveals 87% of working mothers worldwide say parenthood hurt women’s careers, despite the cultural nostalgia for โsimpleโ love stories such as Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement which went viral…
Stories like the viral โEnglish teacher marries gym teacherโ caption also sparked a wave of nostalgia for love stories rooted in the lives that could be ours. Everyone loves a good romance story. But Zetyโs latest findings paint a sobering reality: balancing work and family life remains an uphill battle for mothers across the globe.
According to Zetyโs Working Mothers & Career Trade-Offs Report, based on a survey of nearly 900 U.S. mothers and supported by UK government data, the majority of working moms face serious career setbacks due to parenthood, and are often forced to switch roles or reject promotions in the name of flexibility.
Key findings:
- 87% of working mothers worldwide say becoming a parent negatively impacted their careers.
- In the UK, 75% of working mothers report career setbacks tied to parenthood.
- 90% of mothers changed career paths or turned down promotions for flexibility.
- 84% feared announcing a pregnancy to their employer.
- 40% rejected promotions due to childcare pressures, while fewer than 1 in 5 returned to full-time work after maternity leave.
Love vs. career: the hidden cost of parenthood
While social media idealizes the simplicity of an โEnglish teacher meets gym teacherโ romance, reality is starkly different. Mothers navigating parenthood often face discrimination, inflexible schedules, and slower career growth. In the UK, one in five mothers experiences harassment or negative comments about pregnancy or flexible work requests, while 45% of pregnant women report workplace disadvantages such as redundancy or being excluded from projects.
Flexibility is non-negotiable… but it comes at a price
โBehind every romanticized โsimple lifeโ caption is a complex reality for working mothers,โ said Koลczak, career specialist at Zety. โFlexibility becomes the top priority after motherhood, but the trade-off is steep: missed promotions, slower growth, and in some cases, stepping out of the workforce entirely.โ
The report also reveals cultural ripple effects: 57% of women delayed starting a family due to career concerns, while 32% accelerated plans because of job insecurity.
Why it matters
As conversations about gender equality and workplace flexibility continue, these findings highlight the urgent need for systemic change. Zetyโs experts call for stronger parental leave policies, better access to flexible work, and proactive measures to eliminate pregnancy-related bias in hiring and promotions.
Returning to work after parental leave has its challenges, many mothers experiencing their careers stalling and fewer exciting opportunities at work after they return.
