Posts Tagged ‘ working mom ’

Equal Pay Act Anniversary Reminds Us Mommy Penalty is Real

June 10, 2013

Fifty years ago today President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act prohibiting “discrimination on account of sex in the payment of wages by employers.” So, are you earning your fair share? If you’re a white woman, you may not yet be at parity, but you’re getting closer. If you’re a woman of color, you’ve got a ways to go. And if you’re a mother, you probably wish the paper Kennedy signed had called for an end to discrimination on account of motherhood. On June 10, 1963, women earned, on average, 59 cents for every dollar a man earned. Today they earn closer to 80 cents. African American women earn 36 percent less than white men earn and Latinas earn only 45 percent. And mothers, according to new analysis, perhaps face the greatest gap of all. Shelley J. Correll, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Clayman Institute for Gender Research at Stanford University writes, “When we compare the earnings of mothers and childless women who work in the same types of jobs, have the same level of education, have the same amount of experience and are equal on a host of other dimensions, mothers still earn five percent [...]

Working Mothers: Work After Baby (Infographic)

June 9, 2013

By Hello Ladies

Working Mothers: Work After Baby (Infographic)

The United States is one of only four countries that does not offer paid maternity leave, despite the fact there are more than twenty-three million working mothers in this country. Those who do take leave often have to string together sick days, vacation days, disability leave, and whatever maternity leave their employers offer. When the women return to work they must take it upon themselves to find a clean and private place to pump breast milk. (I used an electrical closet that I shared with spiders.) Then, if and when their children get sick, the working mother will most likely need to call in sick—unless she is one of the four percent of Americans whose employer offers back-up child car and as long she isn’t one of the 48 percent of workers in the private sector who doesn’t receive any paid sick days. Still, working mothers report feeling happy, healthy, and involved in their children’s school activities. Imagine how good they would feel if we had equal pay, more paid sick leave, paid parental leave, and affordable childcare? Source: Work After Baby

Have You Heard About Breadwinner Moms?

May 31, 2013

By Hello Ladies

New data from Pew Research Center shows 40 percent of all households with children under the age of 18 have breadwinning mothers - women who are either the primary or sole breadwinners for their families. I knew we were on the rise, but I didn’t realize just how many primary breadwinner moms there were. What I think is most interesting about the Pew data is the public opinion about women who work. According to Pew, “The public remains of two minds about the gains mothers have made in the workplace–most recognize the clear economic benefits to families, but many voice concerns about the toll that having a working mother may take on children or even marriage.” I will definitely have something to say about this…once I finish the edits to my book about breadwinning women.

What to Give a Working Mother for Mother’s Day

May 12, 2013

By Hello Ladies

What to Give a Working Mother for Mother’s Day

After a long week at work, and the weekend filled with two soccer games, a dance recital and a birthday party, I’ll drive 75 minutes to visit my mother this Mother’s Day. There’s no time for breakfast in bed, a manicure/pedicure with friends or dinner and a movie. That’s okay; that’s not what this working mother wanted for Mother’s Day anyway. You know what I do want for all working mothers? I want: Paid Sick Leave. Almost half (48 percent) of private-sector workers do not have paid sick days. As a working mother, it’s common sense that occasionally you’ll need time to care for yourself or your child when they are too sick to go to school or daycare. It’s also likely you’ll need time to care for an elderly parent. I do. In fact, according to a recent Forbes article, more than 60 million families are caring for an aging or disabled family member. And do you know who does 80-90 percent of that caregiving? Women. Fair Pay. Women are at least partial breadwinners in more and more households, and the sole breadwinner in an estimated 23 percent of families. And yet, women still earn, on average, just .77 [...]

A Parenting Book for Working Parents

April 2, 2013

By Hello Ladies

I never read parenting books. I didn’t read any pregnancy books either. I prefer to use my instincts knowing some of them will be wrong but hoping more will be right. I think too much input can be a bad thing in certain cases – and parenting is one of those cases. However, I recently made an exception and read Minimalist Parenting: Enjoy Modern Family Life More By Doing Less by Christine Koh and Asha Dornfest. While I only opened the book because I share a publisher with the authors, I finished the book because it was chock full of good stuff – and I found it particularly relevant for working mothers. While researching my own book, I spoke with scores of working mothers about how they balance work, marriage, and kids. And a major theme that came out of those discussions, was how these women reconcile their own parenting styles with the other parents in their communities. Worrying about how you’re doing as a parent isn’t unique to working mothers, but stressing about not being able to take your kids to an after school practice or lesson, being unable to reciprocate a play date, or not hearing about the leprechaun [...]

How to Make Women Happy at Work

March 8, 2013

By Hello Ladies

Just in time for International Women’s Day, Accenture has released the results of its latest global study on work life priorities. It’s no surprise to me having just interviewed 100 working women for my forthcoming book Mogul, Mom & Maid: The Balancing Act of the Modern Woman, women crave work life flexibility.

Guest Post: Meals for Busy, Working Parents

January 23, 2013

By Hello Ladies

Guest Post: Meals for Busy, Working Parents

Today’s post comes from 32 Surplus, a blog written by a working mother about design, photography and living. I don’t usually write about meal planning, because frankly, I have nothing to say. But with all the conversations I’ve been having lately about managing home and career, I thought these tips for healthy eating and involving children in meal planning, were useful. Here’s to healthier living in 2013. A few things this family has learned so far. 1. Involve the kids in meal prep and cooking sooner than later Like a lot of parents, I was inspired by this great column in the New York Times about a mom who decided to let her teenage kids do the cooking and was committed to doing the same. and even though my kids are just 6 and 8, it turns out they’re pretty capable in the kitchen — and it has all the upside you imagine it will. Not only do the kids love to help, they benefit from all the learnings that come with it — measuring, counting, mindfulness. They have a greater respect for food, feel good about their creations and contribution to the household and LOVE having a say in what’s for dinner, since [...]

Why I Should Rule the World

January 22, 2013

By Hello Ladies

I’m over at The Huffington Post today talking about a study out of the University of California, Berkeley, that indicates women who run their households have fewer career ambitions and less interest in promotions and raises at work. According to a press release from the university, household decision-making power was highly valued by both men and women who participated in the study, but women reported that running the home made them less likely to pursue promotions and other career advancements at the office. Apparently, it doesn’t work the other way around. Because if there was a correlation between being a domestic disaster at home and a powerhouse at work, I would rule the world. Check out The Huffington Post piece here.

Women on Career, Housework, and Kids

January 20, 2013

By Hello Ladies

This word cloud represents a conversation I had with a room full of working women about career, kids, marriage and housework. Is this what’s inside your head?