If We Want Women in the Workplace, We Must Build a Workplace That Wants Women

Over the years, the conversation around women in the workplace has grown louder and more intentional, and for good reason. But here’s the thing: If we truly want women to thrive in their careers, we need to do more than just invite them to the table - we need to create workplaces and systems that actually support women as they juggle their professional and personal lives.

It’s not just about encouraging women to dream big. It’s about recognizing the realities they face and meeting them with solutions: flexibility, parental leave, affordable childcare, and support for pregnant workers.

The Legacy of Boomer Moms and Rosie the Riveter 

The culture that expects women to do it all didn’t just appear overnight. It was built over decades, starting with the women who entered the workforce during World War II. Rosie the Riveter became a symbol of strength and independence for women as they took on roles that were traditionally held by men. While these women were celebrated for their contributions, the narrative that women must be able to juggle everything from work, home, caregiving, and more.

Boomer mothers were often the first generation to face the pressure of “doing it all” while also maintaining the role of primary caregiver at home. Our society was designed around the idea that one parent (usually the mother) would stay home and manage the household while the other would be the primary breadwinner. This was the norm, and workplace structures were built with that model in mind.

But today, the reality is different. More and more families need both parents to work in order to meet financial needs. Yet our workplaces, policies, and systems haven’t evolved to fully support this shift. The expectation that women can still “do it all” has created a system that isn’t sustainable or realistic for most families.

Flexibility for Home, for Moms and Dads

Parenting is a team sport, and workplaces need to reflect that. Offering flexibility isn’t just about being "nice" it’s a necessity. Schedules that allow for doctor’s appointments, school pickups, or, let’s be real, a random Tuesday when your kid gets sick, can make or break a family’s ability to function.

And it’s not just about moms. Dads need this flexibility too. When both parents have the ability to adjust to life’s demands, everyone benefits.

This is a lesson my husband, Julian, and I learned firsthand. For years, Julian worked in the car sales industry, a job that demanded nights, weekends, and offered very little flexibility. As a full-time working mom, I was constantly stuck juggling the demands of home and work, all while trying to build a career. It often felt like I was caught in the same endless cycle of feeling burnt out, under appreciated, and as though everyone's needs were more important than mine. I’d constantly wrestle with the idea that if I was a good mom, I wasn’t a good employee, and if I was a good employee, I wasn’t a good mom. 

We realized that for me to show up fully, both at work and at home, something had to give. After a lot of tough conversations, Julian made the hard decision to leave car sales and transition into a job that allowed him more flexibility. This shift not only gave him the chance to be more present as a partner and dad but also gave me the breathing room to focus on my career without constantly feeling like I was running on empty.

Accommodating Pregnant Workers

And let’s not forget about pregnant workers. Pregnancy might not be an illness, but it definitely comes with its own set of challenges. Doctor’s appointments, physical discomfort, and changing energy levels are all part of the experience.

Workplaces that offer flexible schedules, adjusted responsibilities, and understanding for what pregnancy entails send a clear message: We value you, and we’re here to support you. Small accommodations can make a big difference in ensuring that pregnant employees don’t feel forced to choose between their health and their job.

The Power of Parental Leave

Movements like Moms First U.S. have been instrumental in bringing much needed attention to the importance of parental leave and not just for moms, but for dads too. Did you know that when dads are able to take at least six weeks off after the birth of a baby, rates of postpartum anxiety and depression in moms drop by up to 26%?

That statistic is huge. It speaks to how critical it is for families to have time to bond and adjust during those first chaotic, wonderful, and exhausting weeks. Yet so many workplaces in the U.S. still don’t offer meaningful parental leave, leaving parents to navigate one of the biggest transitions of their lives with little to no support.

The Childcare Crisis

And then there’s childcare. For many families, it’s a massive hurdle. The average cost of childcare in the U.S. is over $10,000 per year per child. In Colorado, where I am from, it is easily at least $300 per week per child (from personal experience). For two children, many families are spending more on childcare than their rent or mortgage! Even when you can afford it, finding reliable childcare is another story entirely.

Between unexpected daycare closures and staffing shortages, the lack of dependability puts enormous pressure on parents, especially moms, to pick up the slack. And when childcare falls through, it’s women who are often expected to take time off or scale back their careers. Many women I know have been forced to use sick time and PTO to cover childcare issues, further burdening them and contributing to burnout. I’ve personally seen many women, who were once on solid career paths, step back from their careers to focus on raising their families because of the lack of resources and flexibility available to them.

The Bigger Picture

At the end of the day, supporting women in the workplace is about more than policies. It’s about creating a culture where flexibility and understanding aren’t seen as weaknesses but as strengths. It’s about making sure leaders model the support they expect from their teams. It’s about celebrating what women bring to the table without penalizing them for the realities of life outside of work.

When workplaces get this right, everyone wins. Employees are happier. Turnover drops. Businesses thrive. And perhaps most importantly, we create a world where our kids, our daughters and our sons, grow up seeing what true equity looks like.

It’s time to stop expecting women to adapt to workplaces that weren’t built for them. Instead, let’s build workplaces that reflect the realities of modern life. Because if we truly want women in the workplace, we have to support women working in the workplace.