WILD and the NLB Shed Some Light on Motherhood in the Workplace

WILD and the NLB Shed Some Light on Motherhood in the Workplace

By Parker Allen

Starting and raising a family is no easy task, especially when combined with having a career. The majority of the burden falls on women. With this in mind, the National Lighting Bureau recently hosted a panel discussion entitled “WILD: Motherhood in the Workplace.” The discussion, moderated by Kelly Roberts, Studio Director at WALD Studio and President of Women in Lighting + Design (WILD), featured five prominent women (and mothers) in the lighting industry:

Helen Diemer, Principal at The Lighting Practice, Inc.

Andrea Hartranft, Principal at Hartranft Lighting Design, LLC

Tanya Hernandez, Vice President, Government & Industry Relations at Acuity Brands

Paula Martinez-Nobles, Principal at Fisher Marantz Stone

Nancy Stathes, President of Nanometer Lighting

Kelly Roberts, host of the discussion, Studio Director at WALD Studio, President of Women in Lighting + Design (WILD)

In the hour-long conversation and subsequent Q&A session, they discussed the many challenges that working mothers face, such as attrition, maternity policies, childcare, and the financial impact of raising a family.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly a third of all employed women are working mothers. Women are more likely to work part-time due to caretaking concerns than the average worker. They are more likely than the average population to take unpaid time away from work. While many employers are beginning to offer benefits to reduce this burden, not all do. Almost a quarter of working parents (23%) say their commitment to work has been questioned because they have kids, according to the American Association of University Women (AAUW). And, a significant percentage of women have been denied or turned down promotions due to motherhood.

The panelists were invited to first share their experiences as career women with families. I suspect their stories are representative of most working mothers. Inadequate maternity leave policies, coupled with the financial burden of going without pay, make things very difficult for new mothers. Nancy Stathes stated that she was back at work less than 24 hours after giving birth. Furthermore, in many cases, the employers are men and haven’t given much thought to the challenges that these new mothers face.

As the kids grow up, women are often denied or simply not offered opportunities or promotions. Bosses assume they won’t be interested or won’t have the time or level of commitment needed for a higher role. Tanya Hernandez explained, “I was skipped over for many roles and opportunities because people assumed that I did not want to travel or that I did not want to take a particular role because I had small children at home.”

A common theme in all their stories? The importance of having conversations with employers. Bosses need to know what mothers need and the challenges they face to create effective maternity policies. Until the topic is brought up, nothing can be done to fix it. And, by having these conversations, the foundation is being laid to help future mothers. As Andrea Hartranft explained, “When you ask for things or when you insist that there be a little bit more flexibility, you start to realize you're not just doing it for yourself. You are doing it for all the other women that are looking up to you.”

The discussion then turned to company culture, another recurring theme throughout the hour. Each company is different and presents unique challenges. Small companies offer a more intimate environment for employees, but they often don’t have the resources to be able to adequately take care of their employees. On the other hand, large companies often have rigid structures in place, and it is difficult to work outside of those rules if the situation calls for it.

Regardless of the company structure, understanding and compassionate colleagues can make all the difference. Like many working mothers, when her son was young, Andrea often had to bring him to work with her. Because some of her work was confidential, she couldn’t always bring her son into meetings with her. After one such meeting, she came out to find a coworker had changed her son’s diaper. She described how grateful she was to have such caring colleagues. Sometimes, it really does take a village.

No conversation on these issues would be complete without discussing everyone’s favorite topic - COVID. The pandemic has only exacerbated the issues that mothers face, especially with regards to childcare. Finding reliable and affordable childcare options has become significantly harder. Hopefully, as the pandemic begins to wane, these issues will resolve themselves.

Finally, they addressed how the industry can continue to improve going forward and make things better for younger generations. Mentorship, whether formal or informal, is vitally important. Young women need to connect with more experienced women who can explain and guide them through the challenges they will face. They need to see that having a career and raising a family is possible. They need to understand the best ways to go about doing so.

The follow-up Q&A session allowed an opportunity to address some issues that hadn’t been fully digested during the initial conversation. One question that stood out – how to navigate the discrimination you might face by being a mother. How do you not take it personally? As the panelists noted, it is important to stand up for yourself. Be firm and resolute when discussing the issues you face. Unfortunately, you might have to decide which battles are worth fighting. This is where having a mentor, someone who has dealt with these same issues, is crucial.

In order to create change, we must first know that it’s possible. There is no doubt that we still have a long way to go. But, we have seen progress over the past few decades. Conversations like this one, with successful women who have faced and conquered these challenges, are vital to ensuring that we are moving forward and doing everything possible to take care of working mothers. The success of future generations depends on it. ■