THE LOSS OF WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP How to Keep Working Mothers From Walking Out the Door

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1 THE LOSS OF WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP How to Keep Working Mothers From Walking Out the Door Working mothers are planning exit strategies; and it s a big problem for employers who stand to lose some of their most senior people to other organizations. New research shows that to keep working mothers, organizations have to offer more than maternity leave; they have to actively support womens careers before they go out on maternity leave, and they need to aggressively guide the path to successful careers when they come back.

2 THE TRUTH ABOUT PARENTAL LEAVE Women are vital to today s workforce; they make up more than half of those in management and professional roles 1, and they re increasingly delaying motherhood until they re older and well-established in their careers 2. And motherhood is prompting many to consider exit strategies at precisely the moment they re most costly to lose. Why? New research from Bright Horizons shows that long before a baby, women are seeing the impact of motherhood on jobs; they re sensing the effect of children on professional goals, and as a result, they re afraid the news of a pregnancy will hurt their careers.

3 ANTICIPATING A BLEAK FUTURE The Bright Horizons Modern Family Index, a survey of more than 1,000 new and expectant mothers, shows that women are worried about what will happen to their career post baby; and their fears are not imaginary. 1 in 4 expectant mothers have seen colleagues passed over for promotions or other opportunities after having a baby 1 in 5 first-time parents had limited opportunities for advancement after announcing their pregnancy 1 in 5 first-time parents had responsibilities taken from them after returning to work

4 LOSING THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS More than half of new mothers (and in fact 69% of new fathers) expect a new baby to mean a job change. That s a big risk for employers: Women earn more of today s college degrees 3 Their numbers in the workforce are rising while men s are decreasing 4 They continue to surpass men in management and professional roles 5

5 COSTS IN RETENTION AND ENGAGEMENT For employers, there are distinct downsides, including turnover. Roughly half of new parents are leaving employers for jobs offering more family friendliness and less money. And there are engagement issues as well. Career growth is essential to satisfying careers; Millennials have called it more important to job choices than salary 6. So even among employees who stay, the absence of growth opportunities raises the potential for compromised engagement. Close to half (48%) of working parents say their employer offers people with children fewer opportunities for growth

6 Women are very clear about what would illustrate that path 71% are looking for supportive managers WHAT EMPLOYERS NEED TO DO Family friendly organizations understand that attracting and retaining valuable working mothers requires an organizational shift. Maternity leave can t be the end game, but rather a step on a clear pathway to a thriving post-baby career. 59% 81% 66% 69% want opportunities to grow said flextime would show support answered that back-up child care would show support answered that work-site child care would show support

7 HOW TO RETAIN WORKING MOTHERS Provide First-Year Assistance Organizations that are worried about retaining employees after leave ends have begun creating official programs (travel considerations; extra back-up days) to help parents get through the transition of the first year after having a baby. Make Benefits Easy to Access A one-stop site for all related benefits child care, back-up care, discounts, updates to insurance, everything you offer demonstrates both the breadth of employer support and a practical map for successfully returning to work. Be Clear About Flex Policies and PTO Use Clear policies about remote-work opportunities and flex time enables maximized and productive usage; make sure women know that using time off for child-related responsibilities (doctor visits, illness) will not be judged negatively.

8 HOW TO ENGAGE WORKING MOTHERS Discuss Career Progression Before Leave People who feel confident about their career prospects are most likely to want to return. Create Outreach During Leave A program of regular communication during the expectant and new parent phases reminds new and expectant mothers that they remain valued members of the work community. Re-engage Women Upon Reentry Official On-ramping plans programs that help women restart after leave confirms women are welcome and helps them both create goals and reestablish themselves as leaders.

9 A BOOST FOR THE BOTTOM LINE Retaining working mothers preserving a pipeline of women in leadership roles is not just a benefit for employees. Gender diversity is good for the bottom line. Organizations with women in leadership roles are more profitable, with a 30% increase in women in top management associated with a 15% rise in profits 7. Further, the presence of women in these positions provides critical role models for today s young girls to see a future as successful mothers and professionals. Getting there requires more than maternity leave. To retain women, organizations need to actively provide a template for successful careers before motherhood, and a carefully orchestrated strategy to pave the way for thriving careers when working mothers come back.

10 HOW BRIGHT HORIZONS SOLUTIONS AT WORK CAN HELP Bright Horizons is the leader in creating and implementing employee support programs that work for working mothers and their organizations. More than 1,000 of today s top employers rely on our solutions to improve employee well-being, increase employee engagement and retention, and drive greater workforce productivity. Bright Horizons Solutions at Work supports the needs of your whole employee base with onsite or near-site child care and early education centers, in-home or center-based back-up care services for children, elder care, education guidance and resources for parents of children dealing with special challenges, educational advisory services for dependents, and program management and advisory services for employees going back to school.

11 ABOUT THE BRIGHT HORIZONS MODERN FAMILY INDEX The Bright Horizons Modern Family Index is an Internet-based survey conducted by Kelton Global from August 24 to September 2, The first sample included 530 employed women ages 18 and over who are currently pregnant with their first child or planning to have their first child in the next two years, with a margin of error of +/- 4.3%. The second sample included 515 women ages 18 and over who have had their first child in the past two years and returned to work and 150 employed men ages 18 and over who have had their first child in the past two years, with a margin of error of +/- 4.3% for new mothers and 8.0% for new fathers. ENDNOTES 1 Women in the Labor Force, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, December T.J. Mathews, M.S. and Brady E. Hamilton, Ph.D; Mean Age of Mothers is on the Rise: United States, , U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, January Kurt Bauman and Camille Ryan, Women Now at the Head of the Class, Lead Men in College Attainment, United States Census Bureau, October 7, Women in the Labor Force; a Data Book, United States Department of Labor, December Women in the Labor Force; a Data Book, United States Department of Labor, December The Key to Attracting Millennials, EdAssist, Marcus Noland, Tyler Moran, and Barbara Kotschwar, Is Gender Diversity Profitable? Evidence from a Global Survey, Peterson Institute for International Economics, February 2016 Contact us to learn more clientservices@brighthorizons.com brighthorizons.com/solutionsatwork Follow 2017 Bright Horizons Family Solutions LLC. All Rights Reserved