As Mother’s Day approaches, new data reveals how motherhood continues to penalize women in the workplace.
A new survey of nearly 1,000 working moms in the U.S. from LiveCareer, a career service dedicated to resumes and cover letters, paints a sobering picture of what it means to be a working mother in 2025. Despite years of progress in workplace flexibility and equity, motherhood remains a professional liability—and millions of moms are burning out under the pressure to hide who they are. According to LiveCareer’s Motherhood on Mute 2025 report, 87% of working moms have avoided mentioning their children for fear it would hurt their careers and 94% say they would choose a different, more family-friendly career if they could do it all over again.
Additional Key Findings:
- Maternity leave carries lasting penalties: 86% believe taking leave set back their advancement or cost them promotions.
- Judgment is widespread: 93% have been criticized for taking time off for child-related needs–by both employers and co-workers.
- Proving worth is a one-way street: 90% feel they must go above and beyond to prove their dedication—more than fathers ever have to.
- Childcare costs are career killers: 55% changed jobs or reduced hours due to childcare expenses, and 36% left the workforce entirely.
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Working Moms Face Criticism and Bias at Work
Despite growing conversations around flexibility and inclusion, motherhood is still experienced as a workplace liability. The data reveals a widespread culture of judgment and hidden bias:
- 87% have avoided mentioning their children at work out of fear it could hurt their career.
- 93% of working moms have been criticized for taking time off or leaving work early due to a child-related commitment (e.g., field trip, unexpected emergency, school performance), including: 60% from their employer, 24% from colleagues and 9% from both.
- 96% have faced pushback for consistently leaving work at a set time due to child-related responsibilities (e.g., having a hard stop at 5 p.m. for school pickup) – 57% from colleagues, 24% from their boss and 15% from both.
Motherhood Comes with Career Penalties—and Added Pressure
The survey shows that working mothers are not only navigating parenthood, but also facing persistent structural barriers and unequal treatment in the workplace:
- 73% say they’ve explicitly been perceived as less committed or ambitious because they’re mothers. An additional 18% feel this bias is ingrained in workplace culture.
- 86% believe taking maternity leave hurt their career advancement, leading to missed promotions or reduced opportunities.
- 95% have felt excluded from networking opportunities, team events, or business trips due to motherhood – 65% say it happens frequently and 30% say it happens occasionally.
- 9 in 10 moms feel they must prove their dedication in ways fathers do not.
Childcare Costs Are Pushing Moms Out of the Workforce
For many working mothers, the cost and logistics of childcare are more than just stressors—they’re career-defining obstacles.
Nearly half of working moms (49%) spend over 20% of their salary on childcare, with 1 in 10 paying more than 30% of their income just to ensure their children are cared for during work hours.
Primary childcare sources vary, but most rely on family or friends (46%) or daycare/afterschool programs (32%). Only 9% use a nanny or in-home care provider, while 8% have a partner who stays home, and 5% try to work remotely while simultaneously caring for their children.
This financial strain has direct consequences on careers:
- 55% of moms have reduced hours or switched jobs to manage childcare costs
- 36% left the workforce entirely due to cost-prohibitive childcare expenses
- Just 9% say childcare costs haven’t impacted their career decisions
What Moms Say They Need
When asked what workplace changes would ease the pressure, working moms overwhelmingly asked for:
- More flexible schedules and remote options (74%)
- Subsidized childcare support (60%)
- A cultural shift to reduce mom bias (55%)
- Stronger parental leave policies (54%)
“Working moms are being judged not just on how well they do their jobs—but simply for being mothers,” said Toni Frana, career expert at LiveCareer. “This system doesn’t work. We need to stop penalizing mothers for having families and start creating workplaces that actually support them—with flexibility, fairness, and real opportunity.”
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Source: PRWeb
