Despite a mother’s intention to maintain career and family, research shows that many women drop out of the workforce after having their second child. A University of Kent psychologist in England studied the lives and choices of 400 women over a two-year period and found that while many women return to work after their first baby, half stopped working completely after their second. For a variety of reasons, maintaining a full-time career and a growing family is especially challenging for this generation of working mothers.
Many of the mothers participating in the Kent study cite the costs of paying for daycare for two children for their choice to stop working. Surprisingly, others assumed more traditional gender roles after the arrival of their second child, deferring to their husbands to provide for the family. Still others said the demands of balancing career and family were too much emotionally and physically, so they chose to focus on family while the children were young.
The challenges facing working mothers are very real. Known as “Burned-Out Mother Syndrome,” working mothers often report feelings of guilt, anxiety, and shame fueled by the pressures of ensuring their children are cared for during the day, performing at work, and being present at night for the family. This is on top of the other essential daily activities such as laundry, meals, household chores, and family time. Many mothers say they feel it is impossible to do it all, and do it all well.
Mothers in the study who waited until their youngest child started school to return to work were more likely to choose part-time or lower-paying jobs. Additionally, many of the women chose jobs outside of the profession they worked in before becoming mothers. For some, the decision was made out of convenience and a desire for more flexibility. Unfortunately, many other women are excluded from higher-paying positions because of discrimination. Whether overt or not, sex discrimination happens whenever an employer makes hiring or promotion decisions on the basis of a woman’s marital status, pregnancy or plan to become pregnant, or because she is nursing. Gender discrimination can be difficult to detect and prove. If a woman suspects she has been discriminated against because of pregnancy or childcare issues, she should consult an experienced Montgomery County discrimination lawyer as soon as possible.
Montgomery County Employment Lawyers at Sidney L. Gold & Associates Protect the Rights of Working Mothers
If you suspect you are the victim of discrimination at work, contact the Montgomery County employment lawyers at Sidney L. Gold & Associates. Sidney L. Gold and his team are dedicated to every aspect of employment law and are ready to take on the toughest discrimination cases. Call our Philadelphia office at 215-569-1999 or contact us online. We serve clients throughout Montgomery County and the greater Philadelphia area.
