87% of Working Moms Hide Their Parenthood at Work, 94% Would Choose a Different Career, LiveCareer Finds
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Mother’s Day often involves flowers, brunch with family, and gifts for the special women in our lives. However, the struggles that women juggling parenthood and a career face on a daily basis regrettably get far less attention. According to LiveCareer’s Motherhood on Mute 2025 report of nearly 1,000 U.S. working mothers with children under 18, 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.
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.
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.
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 that 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
- 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
- 15% from both
Motherhood Comes with Career Penalties
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
- 30% say it happens occasionally
- 9 in 10 moms feel they must prove their dedication in ways fathers do not.
For a working mom, having a list of achievements demonstrating skills and results is a great way to boost confidence, whether aiming for a promotion, seeking to improve performance feedback, or landing a better job.
Having key accomplishments written down with quantifiable metrics before a job interview or one-on-one with a boss can help working mothers demonstrate they’re great workers.
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/after-school 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 judged not just for how well they do their jobs, but simply for being mothers. Despite some progress, serious strides are needed to create workplaces that actually support moms with flexibility, fairness, and real opportunity.
Being a mother in the workplace is often a difficult position, but not every company makes life hard for working moms. If the office is a toxic environment, it’s time for a resume update and job search to land a role that provides better flexibility and support for working parents.
For press inquiries, contact Elizabeth Buccianti, senior manager public relations, at elizabeth.buccianti@bold.com.
Methodology
The findings presented were obtained by surveying 899 American mothers with children under the age of 18 about their direct experience with being a working mom. The survey was conducted on April 2, 2025. Respondents answered different types of questions, including yes/no, open-ended, scale-based questions where participants indicated their level of agreement with statements, and multiple-choice where they could select from a list of provided options.
