Checklist: How to Support Mothers in the Workplace

Quick look: Nearly three-quarters of U.S. mothers are part of the workforce, and many are seeking employers who offer flexible schedules, valuable benefits, and supportive workplace cultures. This Mother’s Day, we’re spotlighting what today’s working moms typically value, and what small and mid-sized business (SMB) leaders can do to build an environment where they can excel.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 74% of mothers with children under 18 were active in the labor force in 2025, with 68% of those with children under age 6 employed.

That’s a significant portion of the country’s workers, and for organizations looking to attract and retain talented professionals, understanding the experience of working mothers is a smart and empathetic business move.

Exploring what work is like for mothers

To better support working moms, business leaders should start with a look at the latest data on benefits, culture, and mental health.

Employee benefits

KPMG’s 2025 Working Parents Survey, which gathered insights from 1,000 U.S. corporate employees who identify as parents, highlights the offerings that resonate most strongly:

• Enhanced paid parental, medical, and sick leave were the most sought-after benefits
• About 46% said they want employer-led programs to help combat burnout and support well-being
• Roughly half reported ongoing childcare challenges, with flexible work schedules ranking as the most helpful remedy

Working mothers also reported feeling less satisfied with their personal well-being and time spent with family compared to working fathers, underscoring the importance of supporting them.

Company culture

Organizational culture and employee satisfaction are intertwined, and a family-friendly workplace can give employers an edge when attracting and retaining talent.

While progress has been made for women in the workplace, significant gaps remain. According to the Pew Research Center, nearly 25% of working mothers have turned down a promotion because of the difficulty in balancing professional ambitions with caregiving responsibilities, a clear signal that flexibility is not just a perk but a catalyst for career growth.

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) also found that hiring managers are statistically less likely to extend offers to mothers than to women without children, and when they do, the salary offered is often lower. Over time, this disparity can significantly impact lifetime earnings and retirement security, even when bias is unintentional.

Mental health and stress

According to research published in the Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 65% of working parents experience burnout. And working mothers, specifically, face elevated rates of depression and anxiety compared to the general population.

The ripple effects of burnout can affect every corner of an organization through lower productivity, reduced engagement, higher absenteeism, and increased turnover. The U.S. Surgeon General has even issued an advisory on the matter, recognizing parental stress and its effects on mental health as a serious public health concern.

Checklist: 4 ways to support mothers in the workplace

Working mothers want and need to remain in their roles, and they perform best when their employers help make that possible. Here’s where to start:

✓ Identify where you are

Before taking action, you must first determine what work is currently like for the mothers in your organization.

Start by examining your management structure and determining if working moms hold any leadership roles. If not, is that a gap you can begin to address?

From there, use your HR platform’s reporting capabilities to look at retention patterns; are mothers leaving at higher rates than other groups, and why might that be? ExtensisHR’s DEI Dashboard provides insights across pay equity, salary trends, promotions, turnover, and hiring data, all of which can help surface blind spots.

Lastly, anonymous employee pulse surveys can enable business leaders to gather candid feedback on culture, benefits, and overall workplace experiences.

✓ Offer personalized benefits

A thoughtfully designed benefits package is a great way to signal that your business values working parents. When building or updating your offerings, consider the entire family lifecycle, from pregnancy to college, and look for gaps where employees might feel unsupported.

Consider adding or expanding:

• Family-forming support, including access to fertility clinicians, emotional counselors, adoption and surrogacy resources, prescription delivery, and personalized care coordination.
• A dependent care FSA that can be used for qualified childcare expenses (e.g., preschool, day camps, before- and after-school programs, and daycare).
• Robust mental health support, including an employee assistance program (EAP) and health insurance plans that cover mental health services. This is especially relevant given that approximately one in eight new mothers develops postpartum depression.
• Paid family leave. As of 2026, 14 states and the District of Columbia mandate paid family leave*, meaning working parents in other states depend entirely on their employers to provide this benefit.
• College savings support, such as assistance in establishing a 529 plan, which can help parents prepare for the future while taking advantage of federal and state tax benefits.

Clearly communicating these plans is just as important as offering them. New hires should learn about available programs during onboarding, and any changes to the benefits package should be shared proactively across the organization. For significant updates, consider hosting an internal webinar or live Q&A session.

* Paid family leave requirements vary significantly by state. Please review your applicable state laws to understand the specific provisions in your area. This blog provides general information and is not intended as legal advice.

✓ Foster a welcoming office environment

A workplace where employees feel comfortable and supported benefits everyone.

A good starting point is to provide a clean, private lactation space for nursing employees. This could look like a room with a locking door, a comfortable chair, and refrigerator access. Be sure to review applicable federal and state requirements, including the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) for Nursing Mothers Act, which outlines employers’ obligations around break time and space.

On a cultural level, normalizing conversations about parenting helps working mothers feel less isolated, and it creates an environment where unconscious bias is less likely to take root. Offering anti-bias training through a learning and development platform can further reinforce this, especially for managers involved in hiring and promotion decisions.

Finally, mentorship programs can give working moms a structured space to connect with peers who have been on a similar journey, discuss work-life balance, and navigate their career paths.

✓ Provide flexibility

Managing a career alongside the demands of raising children requires agility, and flexibility may be one of the most powerful retention tools available for small businesses.

Where operationally possible, consider hybrid or remote arrangements that give employees the ability to handle family obligations, like a pediatrician appointment or a school pickup, without using their paid time off (PTO).

Flexible arrangements also positively influence mental health, with research showing that 89% of employees consider flexible work hours to be a primary mental health resource, and 84% feeling the same about remote work.

Please note: Workplace flexibility and equitable benefits should extend to all employees, and burnout affects working people of all backgrounds. This post focuses on working mothers without diminishing the very real challenges experienced by others in your workforce.

It starts with intention

Supporting working mothers doesn’t require an overnight overhaul. What matters is starting.

No single policy will fix everything, but every small step adds up. By examining their culture, strengthening their benefits, and making space for flexibility, business leaders can create stronger retention and engagement.