New Report Warns Workplaces Are Losing Working Mothers Due to Unsustainable Work Design

DALLAS, Jan. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A new research report warns that workplaces risk continuing to lose working mothers at scale unless they rethink how work is designed around maternity leave, return to work, and long-term sustainability.

According to The Future of Working Motherhood Annual Report, published by Executive Moms, 97.5% of working mothers say they would stay longer at a company that meaningfully supports working motherhood, yet 40% leave their job after having a baby when that support falls short. The findings suggest that attrition is not driven by a lack of ambition or commitment, but by systems that fail to evolve when employees do.

The report examines the full arc of working motherhood, from maternity leave through reentry and beyond, and reframes retention as a work design challenge rather than an individual one.

Reentry Is Where Retention Breaks Down

The data reveals that attrition among working mothers is concentrated in a narrow window following maternity leave. Of the nearly 40% of mothers who leave, 65% do so within the first year, indicating that most do not exit impulsively but after sustained strain.

Instead, the report finds that many mothers attempt to make it work, absorbing strain quietly as expectations resume without recalibration. When roles, workloads, and performance norms remain unchanged, staying becomes unsustainable over time.

Managers Matter But Systems Matter More

The report underscores the significant role managers play during reentry: 68% of mothers say their manager had the single biggest impact on whether their return to work was positive or negative.

However, individual support alone is not enough. Globally, regardless of how much paid leave was taken, 63% of respondents identified flexible work design as the most impactful systemic change for improving the sustainability of working motherhood, outweighing compensation or one-time benefits.

When flexibility is informal or manager-dependent, outcomes vary widely. When it is clearly defined and structurally supported, retention improves.

Ambition Hasn't Decreased, It's Been Misread

Contrary to persistent narratives, the report finds no evidence that working mothers lose ambition after having children. Instead, many describe a shift in how ambition is expressed, becoming more selective about where time and energy are invested.

76% of mothers said flexibility matters more than compensation, and 78% reported that motherhood made them better leaders, citing stronger prioritization, judgment, and focus. What can appear as disengagement is often a rejection of outdated performance models built around constant availability rather than impact.

A Design Opportunity for Employers

Rather than framing working motherhood as a cultural or values issue, the report positions it as a matter of execution. It outlines practical steps organizations can take now, including structured reentry planning, role protection during leave, clearer expectations, and expanded postpartum mental health benefits.

The full report is available at https://www.executivemoms.co/the-future-of-working-motherhood-2026

About Executive Moms

Executive Moms is a research-driven workplace advisory focused on improving maternity leave, reentry, and long-term retention of working mothers. The organization partners with companies to translate data into practical strategies, workshops, and leadership guidance, and also supports new and expecting working mothers with maternity leave planning tools designed to make working motherhood more sustainable.

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SOURCE Executive Moms