Still Ignoring the Mothers in Your Workplace? That’s Costing Your Business
Why Supporting Mothers Is a Business Power Move
Sounds wild, right?
But here’s what’s wilder: we’re still running companies based on assumptions from the nuclear family model of the 1950s. The world has changed. Most mothers are now in full-time work, but systems and expectations haven’t kept up.
Let’s get specific.
Even in homes where parenting is shared more equally, research shows mothers are still carrying the invisible load. It’s not just the to-do lists. It’s the mental spreadsheets, emotional management, birthday planning, sick days, organising the cupboards being stocked, child and pet appointments, play dates, shoe sizes, and centrelink passwords. It's why so many are burning out quietly and you’ll never get the best from them.
Yes, they still show up. To meetings. To deadlines. To team events. To bedtimes.
But here’s what no one’s saying loudly enough: supporting mothers isn’t charity work. It’s business sense.
Mothers don’t need pity. They need to be recognised as a strategic asset.
They bring a particular kind of efficiency. Decision-making, task-switching, resilience. Built under pressure. Refined in chaos. They don’t have the luxury of fluff. And that means they get things done, fast.
So what if your culture actually leaned into that?
What if, instead of judging time away as lost productivity, we saw it for what it really is, a chance to develop loyalty, trust, and long-term commitment?
Let me be clear. This isn’t just about being “nice.” It’s about knowing your people and creating a structure that supports their reality.
Because here’s the reality:
Many mothers in the workplace feel like a burden. Like they’re always one sick child away from being seen as unreliable. Like they’ll never keep pace with colleagues who don’t have car seat drop-offs and gastro alerts. That kind of pressure kills creativity. And it stops leadership in its tracks. These women have skills. If they can negotiate with a toddler, they can negotiate with the most precious client, but they'll never apply for that job, because it means more hours, and that they don't have.
This isn’t a “mum” problem. This is a system problem from when people would work 40 hours sequentially on the clock. And systems can change.
Here’s where it starts.
1. Flexibility that actually means something.
It’s not about endless days off. It’s about redesigning roles around outcomes. What if success was measured by results, not time-in-chair metrics? Many high-performing mothers don’t need fewer responsibilities. They need less pointless fluff. Fewer meetings. More clarity. More room to breathe.
2. Acknowledging that mothers are still… mothers.
Kids don’t just need us at night or on weekends. They need us at assemblies, during meltdowns, on Mondays when the babysitter cancels. When workplaces support this, without resentment, it builds fierce loyalty. Because now you’re not just a job. You’re part of the village.
3. Planning with school holidays in mind.
If your business cycle ignores the school calendar, you’re not set up to support parents. What if leave structures, team launches, or even on-site child-minding partnerships were designed with these natural rhythms in mind? This isn't about lowering the bar. It's about designing smarter systems. Ones that account for reality.
And then there's the bigger picture.
Happy, supported parents raise emotionally intelligent kids. They also build better teams, foster stronger relationships, and solve problems with empathy. These are the people you want running your projects.
And yes, this includes fathers too. The conversation starts with mothers only because the data says it still mostly lands on their shoulders.
But the solution? It benefits everyone.
While we are at it address the nervous system stuff too.
Stress doesn’t live in spreadsheets. It lives in the body. In the mind. In the juggling. In the guilt. In the loop of “I’m letting someone down again.”
And when stress builds up?
Performance tanks.
Focus scatters.
Retention becomes a wishlist item, not a real goal.
If your wellness strategy doesn’t include space for parenting, it’s missing the mark.
No amount of meditation apps or resilience workshops will solve what a culture of subtle judgment breaks down. Especially when the real problem is the eye-roll someone gets for leaving at 3 pm for school pickup.
Want better output?
Shift the system.
Support the people inside it.
Start with reality. Then build from there.
This could look like:
Auditing your culture and beliefs, not just your policies.
Hosting mindset-based workshops that challenge old assumptions.
Bringing in someone monthly to offer tools like EFT tapping—real-time nervous system support people will actually use.
Because here’s the thing.
The most flexible workplaces win.
Not because they’re soft.
But because they’re smart enough to ditch outdated paradigms.
The most human workplaces keep their talent.
The most aware ones attract the best people.
And the wisest leaders don’t wait for a crisis to make the change.
This isn’t special treatment.
It’s future-proofing.
And it’s overdue.
Carla Mardell, creator of Mindset in Mayhem, teaches busy women and workplaces how to get off the mouse wheel of busy, flip the thoughts that keep them stuck, and find calm- even with careers, kids, and life’s chaos in the mix. She blends EFT with NLP and emotionally intelligent tools that actually work- so that you can stress less, reclaim your time, and feel more like yourself again. You step into yourr potential and possibility to glow, flow and bring back some mojo!
No healing pits of misery.
No 5am rituals.
Just real change, in the moment, without the flaming hoops.