The Motherhood Penalty: Our Take as Moms & Employers

Parenting, apparently · Aug 20, 2026 · 40m

In this episode of “Parenting, apparently”, Melissa and Esther unpack the “motherhood penalty”: the bias mothers can face in hiring, pay, promotions, and how their boundaries are perceived at work.

The conversation was inspired by a recent interview Melissa had with a candidate for a role at Pok Pok. It was a mother who arrived on the call with her two-month-old on her lap, nursing on and off throughout the interview, and (correctly) assumed it wouldn’t be a problem. For Melissa, it became an unexpectedly emotional moment of trust in a world where being a mom at work can come with real…