By Ritika Mahajan and Priya Agarwal

In a survey we conducted with working mothers in industry and academia last month, some moms shared very personal insights. While every profession is challenging and every personal role is demanding, we believe that the mental health of working mothers is potentially a very strong indicator of a society's value system and hence, to us, it was a very significant topic. Our respondents mentioned dual responsibilities, sexism, and bias in the workplace, which we expected, but also shared less widely known issues like workplace toxicity, preconceived notions, and poor childcare facilities. This article discusses some findings from the survey and our observations.

About the Survey

We surveyed 50 mothers in industry and academia at entry and mid-level positions about their work-related experiences. The majority of our respondents were between 30-50 years of age and had one or, in a few cases, two children. The questions asked were about treatment at work, biases if any, the effect of motherhood on their productivity, major challenges and suggestions. We used a combination of the Likert scale and open-ended questions. Key insights follow.

Industry and Academia - Both are Challenging

In India, there is a general perception about academic jobs; that they are presumed to be ideal for women, especially in government institutions. With its roots in patriarchy, the cultural and social systems tend to impose a greater pressure on women to bear household responsibilities including bearing and raising children. So a job with fixed working hours is expected to enable women to balance work and family excellently. Last week, I met someone who was delighted to know that I work in academia. She started seeking suggestions for her daughter but was extremely disappointed to know that I usually arrive home from work in the evenings. Even though she wasn't direct, she meant, "Who takes care of your daughter? A Maid? What then, is the benefit?"

As far as good, bad, and ugly experiences are concerned, there wasn't much difference reported by mothers in academia to those in industry. In our survey, women candidly shared their experiences, often bringing up how academic jobs have changed over time to include additional responsibilities outside of delivering the same lectures year after year. One of them talked about how her own family was sceptical about her responsibilities beyond teaching, and how family members found it challenging to understand the myriad of expectations academic jobs of today encompass. Overall, respondents shared how jobs have changed over the past few decades, and we concluded that academia and industry are equally challenging in that respect.

Effect on Productivity

The majority of our respondents mentioned that motherhood did not decrease their work-life productivity; on the contrary, they felt that productivity improved. But, given the time and care that a mother provides to children, we wondered how this was logistically possible. The seemingly paradoxical evidence gave us pause to wonder whether respondents would really feel comfortable acknowledging lower productivity levels, if they were present, so we probed further. As a result, one respondent revealed how motherhood changed her as a person, how she felt stronger; another, mentioned prioritizing tasks and planning well ahead of time. In short, motherhood was transformative for these women, enabling them to adapt and create new coping mechanisms that then led to their increased productivity.

We also observed that productivity was a very personalized concept. If the organization looks at output over input rather than just the input, working mothers score because of their conviction and resilience. It emerged that most women had taken it upon themselves to prove their ability amid resistance and bias. While it seems commendable, it raises concerns about their mental health, systemic support, and the role of other family members. Very few respondents agreed that the responsibility was shared equally by other family members at home.

Childcare Support

The next major issue was the lack of childcare facilities at work. As per the Maternity Benefit Act in India, organizations with a minimum of 50 employees or more must set up or hire a creche facility (childcare or daycare centre) within a set distance. While all our respondents worked in such organizations, most of them did not receive proper childcare facilities, allowances or other forms of support. However, the facilities in the industry were reported to be better than in academia.

If working mothers take upon dual responsibilities, strive doubly hard and maintain excellent outcomes, organizations tend to ignore allocating resources and designing systems for them and childcare facilities are relegated to the background. Indra Nooyi, the former Chairperson and CEO of PepsiCo, has extensively emphasized the need for childcare support. In a recent article, she reiterated that the economy needs women to work and bear children, which is not just a "women's problem."

Workplace Toxicity

Another finding that emerged was about workplace toxicity. The majority of the women disclosed dealing with one or the other form of toxic behaviour including personal remarks. One of them said that she was frequently taunted for not staying back after working hours. Others revealed being made to feel inferior or incompetent, and their bosses assumed their responses without even asking them. Some felt they were pitied, and their personal life was brought forth in meetings. In our research, we also came across a trend on LinkedIn and Twitter where ex-academics shared their personal stories about quitting because of a toxic culture. Accounts like Dr Zoe Ayres and Dr Tim Gill, that critique academic culture boldly, have a large following on Twitter.

The Mindset

Finally, mindset emerged as a significant problem, and many women reported dealing with bias and judgement. One of them mentioned how she was removed from a team citing that she wasn't in a position to handle pressure. While this could be seen by some as an empathetic gesture designed to lessen her work load, no one asked her opinion or gave her a choice before the decision was made. Other women mentioned promotion denials or delays.

If we go by the stories of these few women, workplace issues make life tough for mothers. We acknowledge that our sample is limited, but at least for these women, these challenges were real. These may appear as common workplace issues that both men and women face, but we intend to direct concern towards a pertinent question: 

Beyond the shades of black and white, the debates of right and wrong, and the equations of equity and justice, the question is - what kind of a society are we if our mothers are constantly dealing with enormous pressure or guilt, if they still have to choose between work and family, and achievement and sacrifice, if motherhood is looked at as a problem, diversity is undervalued and toxicity is normalized? If we do not have an answer yet, we must at least start looking for it. The only alternative is to watch them burn out or quit - and it will be entirely our loss.

Ritika is an Assistant Professor and Priya is an MBA 2nd Year Student at the Department of Management Studies, MNIT Jaipur

Now published here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xtrvYS4ImxfVwodB1O5KF8IxYlZ2J9H3/view