Addressing the Challenges of Working Moms and Other Caregivers

Paula Faris, the founder and leader of CARRY Media, recently appeared on SHRM’s Tomorrowist podcast. A summary of that conversation appears below.

While working mothers fulfill their duties as employees, they often find themselves performing the majority of parental duties as well. Paula Faris, the founder of CARRY Media and author of You Don’t Have to Carry It All (Worthy Books, 2023), sheds light on this conversation and what she calls the “mom penalty”—the systemic disadvantages that mothers face in the workplace, from pay disparities to missed promotions.

As an advocate for working moms since her time on “Good Morning America” and “The View,” Faris emphasizes that the mom penalty isn’t just a problem for mothers. Rather, it affects generations of caregivers, from those raising children to those caring for aging parents—and increasingly, doing both. She believes that resolving these issues will require a collective shift—one that challenges both societal perceptions and workplace structures. 

Faris’ perspective raises an important question: As seven generations are now participating in the workforce and taking on diverse caregiving responsibilities, can we rely solely on market forces to correct these inequities, or do we also need legislative solutions? 

The ‘Marginalization of Motherhood’

Faris, herself a mother of three, has explored how mothers are paid less, scrutinized more, and valued less in the U.S. workplace. “I saw this marginalization of motherhood where we are scrutinized and diminished, instead of celebrated,” she says. “Even if there’s an intimation that you want to have children, you will be scrutinized, because you’re all of a sudden thought of as a risk and a liability.” 

In the U.S., “the responsibilities of the home, of the child, of work, all fall on the mom,” says Faris, advocating for a broad cultural shift in how motherhood is perceived and supported. “Moms need a rebrand ... Motherhood is essentially a master class in leadership. Motherhood gives us increased empathy, increased efficiency. We become better leaders, better visionaries.”

Faris argues that other developed countries support working mothers through laws and societal attitudes, while in the U.S., we tend to focus on individual responsibility. “It’s very much this perception and this feeling and attitude of, ‘Your kid, your problem. You figure it out.’ ” But is this the best attitude to have toward working mothers—let alone all caregivers in the workforce? 

People with aging parents, disabled children, or mental or physical disabilities pay a “tax” similar to the mom penalty when they are out of the workplace for long periods. When personal responsibilities conflict with work, do we allow the free market to penalize caregivers, or do we step in with a solution from lawmakers? 

Addressing the Mom Penalty

Faris acknowledges that there are both legislative and free market paths to resolving the mom penalty. On the one hand, she suggests subsidizing child care may provide an economic advantage. Currently, the U.S. economy loses around $122 billion annually due to inadequate access to affordable child care, explains Faris, adding that “that falls on the mother because it’s her responsibility to raise the child.” Faris argues that by investing in subsidized child care, we could potentially add over $1 trillion to our GDP.

On the other hand, Faris recommends a Results-Only Work Environment model to accommodate all employees with various family responsibilities. “We have to be committed to measuring the measurables,” she says. “The 9-to-5 workplace just isn’t feasible, and it wasn’t set up for women.” While the traditional eight-hour workday in a central location was great for assembly lines, is it the most efficient approach for the modern workforce?

Measuring people by output versus hours spent at work could make more sense for workers, owners, and shareholders. “You won’t find a more loyal, productive, and efficient employee than a parent who has grown in so many core capabilities because of parenthood, not in spite of it,” Faris says.

It’s vital to support working mothers, but also people who may be balancing responsibilities through all of life’s seasons. Millennials are joining Generation X in caring for aging parents, and Generation Z is not far behind. From an economic perspective, caring for caregivers could have a significant return on investment for businesses struggling with employee turnover and retention costs. Faris notes, “When [caregivers] are well supported, they do not leave if you support them.”