In most organizations, HR professionals are responsible for the employee experience of parental leave. And while the length of the paid leave policy is important, there are other factors to account for.

It’s a tale as old as time—one partner, oftentimes a mom, feels like they’re taking on the bulk of domestic duties, regardless of whether they work outside the home.

There are many paths to parenthood; regardless of how one gets there, bringing kids into our world is life-changing. One path often overlooked in the workplace is becoming a stepparent since it doesn’t involve parental leave.

The lack of paid parental leave and universal childcare are a matter of women’s rights in several ways. For example, moms tend to take on the burden of domestic labor and consequently suffer the motherhood penalty - and many childcare providers are women themselves.

As important as it is to offer paid parental leave, it’s necessary to pursue both policy and cultural changes to fully support working women.

While it might not always feel like it, working mothers have come a long way in terms of controlling their careers.

If parents have better support from employers and access to affordable childcare, there’s no telling what they can achieve at any stage of their career.

Women aren’t always set up to succeed in the workplace - especially once they have children. But when looking back on previous generations of working mothers, we can really take stock of our progress.

The motherhood penalty—the idea that moms are less competent and committed to work, which results in lower earnings and fewer opportunities for career advancement—is real.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the number of men who took parental leave tripled to an average of 76,500 in a 6-month period ending in February of 2023 compared to five years prior.