Parent of the year or the C Suite – must you choose?

Balancing a family and a high-powered career can be tough, but is it impossible? While the jury is still out on the probability of succeeding in both roles, Dr. Bettie Youngs' Oh, Baby! 7 Ways a Baby Will Change Your Life the First Year argues that having a child will actually improve your career.

Youngs contends that new parents are more efficient, compassionate managers than their childless cohorts. Understanding the conflicts other parents face makes managers more empathetic toward their coworkers’ and subordinates’ family concerns. A more compassionate boss creates a more positive work environment which in turn has been found to increase employee productivity.

Having a child also makes managers use their time effectively. With a family to get home to, managers are less willing to put up with the trivial, time-consuming activities. Youngs argues that while managers with children are willing to work long hours when necessary, they’re not as willing to waste time while at the office.

While having a child does have its benefits for parents in the workplace, corporate America is actually reversing the trend of supporting parents with children.

According to the Families and Work Institute, companies are cutting paid maternity leave benefits in an attempt to rein in costs. In 1998 27% of companies offered full pay for childbirth leave, but that number has dropped to 16% today. During this same time period, the average maximum length of job-guaranteed leave for moms dropped from 16.1 weeks to 15.2 and from 13.1 weeks to 12.6 weeks for dads.

Perhaps due in part to corporate America’s response, women are postponing motherhood until they are more secure in their careers. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the average age for first-time mothers has been steadily climbing in the US from 21 in 1970 to 25 in 2005. Not only are women postponing motherhood, they are also working more than their mothers and grandmothers.

The belief that most women leave the workforce for a year or more once they have a child was found to be inaccurate in a study published in the June issue of the American Sociological Review. The study found:

• Less than 8% of professional women born since 1956 have left the workforce for a year or more during their prime childbearing years.
• The percentage of professional women working more than 50 hours a week has increased from less than 10% for those women born before 1935 to 15% for women born after 1956.
• The percentage of full-time working mothers with young children has risen to 38% for women born from 1966 to 1975, up from 6% of women born from 1926 to 1935.

While corporate America may not be welcoming baby with open arms, having children does not necessarily derail a parent’s career. Instead, starting a family can greatly impact an employee’s productivity, offering them a one-way ticket to the C-suite.

More news