More Than a Job: The Underlying Reasons Women Stay in Positions
by Alyssa Towns Swantkoski
Last October, a rise in commotion crossed headlines as paid family leave was slashed from President Biden's framework for the Build Back Better plan. The provision included 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave before the administration cut it from the bill entirely. This news followed an already challenging conversation around women in the workforce, with activists like Reshma Saujani spearheading the Marshall Plan for Moms, which champions paid family leave, affordable childcare, and more support for moms in the workforce overall.
In response to the changes surrounding the Build Back Better plan, theSkimm sparked a conversation around paid family leave and kicked off a campaign in support of transparent discussions around this topic. The #ShowUsYourLeave campaign is a movement that encourages businesses to openly share their leave policies that impact women in the workplace. Those who join the movement support extended paid family leave and commit to better supporting women at work. More than 300 companies, including Pinterest, Asana, Shopify, and more, joined the movement and shared their policies in support.
These initiatives are essential for taking steps toward meaningful change and creating work environments that support women. Likewise, these discussions also support a view I've had for years that doesn't get mentioned enough: work is never simply a job for most women. No matter how badly they want to climb the career ladder or desire to chase that next big move, women often have a laundry list of other factors they have to consider and sacrifices they must make. And in some cases, the underlying reasons a woman stays in a position at work outweigh her interests, wants, and happiness.
What are the underlying reasons women choose to work for specific companies or stay in certain roles? Planning for a future family is a big one. Whether through childbirth or adoption, women who want to become mothers get forced to consider what maternity or family leave policies are in place. And even if having a child isn't a plan in the near term, it's a consideration many women don't take lightly.
Elizabeth S., a member of the BWH community, talked to me about her decision to explore and accept a new role weeks before her due date. While she wasn't actively looking for a new position and didn't want to make a significant life change so close to giving birth, the offer she received came at the perfect time.
"I was contacted by a recruiter, and throughout every conversation from that point on, everything seemed to fall into place. The generous maternity leave policy was what sealed the deal for me. Knowing that I would be immediately eligible for 12 weeks off work with full pay gives me a strong sense of loyalty to the company, despite just beginning my career with them," she said.
Elizabeth's story is a powerful testament that women's careers aren't always strictly about them. It's also important to note that when women do choose to take on new jobs while pregnant, regardless of whether they're actively seeking a new role or not, interviews can get muddy.
"It is incredibly hard to navigate the job interview process this late in pregnancy. It's such a fine line between knowing that they can't ask you specifics, but also not being able to hide a baby bump at an in-person interview. I wasn't sure who I could turn to for guidance and how to clarify my specific parental leave policy questions without giving myself away. It's not easy," Elizabeth shared.
Morgan S., another member of the BWH community, shared her account of utilizing a newly announced paid maternity leave policy at her job, only to come back to a new job description better "fit for a new mom."
Unfortunately, after taking only six weeks of maternity leave plus some paid sick/vacation time, I came back to a new job description that was better fit "for a new mom"—basically a demotion—and it was awful," Morgan said.
Shortly after, she moved to a new department within the same organization, but not without sacrifices. "Leaving my former job required a pretty significant career pivot, and while I'm not currently in a dream role when it comes to my job functions or position description, I'm in a dream department with kind and inclusive colleagues. I've learned that WHO I'm working with is so much more important than WHAT I'm doing at work in this season of life," Morgan said.
Both Elizabeth and Morgan's stories are a small fraction of the challenges women face in the workplace. Even as a woman who currently doesn't have children but might someday, I often can't help but jump to a company's maternity leave and flexible work policies when exploring roles. On top of future family planning, women stay in jobs for a variety of other external factors, including:
To qualify for a home loan and avoid the risk of a pay cut during the process
To take advantage of flexible work time to serve as a caregiver for sick family members
To provide for their children as the family's breadwinner
To avoid hurting their manager's or other coworkers' feelings
To avoid applying for new roles because they feel unqualified or unworthy
To build their resumes and have a chance to compete with men of similar skills and abilities
If you're a woman who has ever found herself feeling stuck in a job but chose to stay put for an underlying reason, you aren't alone.
Alyssa spends her days working in the digital marketing industry and is passionate about sharing her personal experiences through writing growth, productivity, and wellness features. She spends her free time adventuring through Colorado and beyond with her high school sweetheart, reading self-help books, and practicing yoga in the comfort of her apartment, thanks to the Yoga with Adriene YouTube channel. Catch Alyssa's latest musings at wordswithalyssa.com.
