Latest / Women at Work: Career, Leadership & Modern Work / How Maternity Leave Derails Women into Part-Time Work
Transcript
- Lucas: Luna, I want to talk about a moment that feels small but changes everything for a lot of women: the day you come back from maternity leave and someone says, 'We thought you might want something a bit more manageable.' Luna: Oh, that phrase. I've heard it from so many friends. It sounds considerate on the surface, but it often comes with a hidden downsizing of your career. Lucas: Exactly. A 2025 McKinsey study found that 38 percent of women who return from maternity leave within two years are in roles with fewer responsibilities than before. And only half of them ever regain their original trajectory. Luna: That's a staggering leak in the pipeline. And it's not just about hours — it's about scope, budget, team size, strategic input. Lucas: Right. The study called it the 'invisible downshift.' It often happens informally — no formal title change, no HR paperwork. Suddenly your key projects go to someone else, and you're handling logistics instead of strategy. Luna: I think there's a well-meaning manager bias at play. They see you with a new baby and assume you want less pressure. But they never ask. Lucas: That's the core problem — the assumption. And it's gendered. Men who become fathers rarely get asked if they want a lighter load. In fact, fatherhood often correlates with a wage premium, not a penalty. Luna: So women are being gently nudged onto a 'mom track' that feels like flexibility but is actually a career dead end. The flexibility is real in the short term, but the long-term cost is enormous. Lucas: Let's put a number on it. The same McKinsey data showed that women who take a reduced-hours role after leave earn, on average, 18 percent less over the next five years compared to peers who maintain full scope. Luna: And that compounds. Less visibility, fewer stretch assignments, smaller network. The gap widens. Lucas: One thing that stood out to me is that the downshift is not always voluntary. About a third of the women in the study said they were explicitly told their previous role was no longer available, but they could take a different one. Luna: Which is legal in most places, as long as it's not discriminatory on its face. But the pattern is unmistakable. Lucas: And then there's the subtle version: you come back and your projects have been redistributed, your direct reports reassigned. You have to fight to get them back, and that fight feels ungrateful. Luna: You're supposed to be happy to be back. You don't want to seem difficult. So you accept it. Lucas: That's the trap. And it's worth saying, this isn't about judging any individual choice. Some women genuinely want a lighter load for a period. The problem is the assumption and the lack of a clear on-ramp back. Luna: Speaking of assumptions — I want to bring up something you mentioned on a previous episode that stuck with me. You said that one of the best things a manager can do is ask, not assume. That feels directly relevant here. Lucas: If we've helped you think through a career move or decision, that's exactly why we do this show. We deliberately don't run ads on these episodes. If you want to support that choice, the link is buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: Yeah, I love that it's listener-supported. Keeps the conversation focused on what matters, not on selling something. Lucas: So back to that manager question. The best approach is to start the conversation before the employee even goes on leave. Say: 'Let's talk about what your return could look like. What do you want your scope to be? How can we support that?' Luna: That puts the woman in the driver's seat. And it signals that her career is still a priority. Lucas: A 2023 study from the Center for Talent Innovation found that women who had a formal return to work plan with their manager before leave were 60 percent more likely to be promoted within two years of returning. Luna: Sixty percent. That's massive. So the planning window is before the baby comes, not after. Lucas: Exactly. And the plan should include specific deliverables, milestones, and a check-in schedule for the first six months back. Not vague promises. Luna: I'd add that women should also prepare a one-pager for their return — a summary of their key projects, their goals, and what they need to succeed. Hand it to their manager on day one. Lucas: That's a power move. It forces the conversation onto your terms. And it signals competence and ambition, not pushiness. Luna: Because the risk is that if you don't define your scope, someone else will define it for you. Lucas: And that definition often shrinks. There's a concept called 'scope creep in reverse' — where your responsibilities gradually get smaller until you're doing a job far below your capability. Luna: I've seen that happen to a friend in marketing. She came back from leave and was handling social media scheduling, when before she'd been leading campaign strategy. It took her a year to get back to her old level. Lucas: A year of lost strategic work, lost visibility, lost networking. And that's time you can't get back. Luna: So what's the one concrete takeaway for a woman listening who's about to go on leave, or recently returned? Lucas: Before you leave, schedule a meeting to define your post-return role in writing. Ask: 'What is the scope of this role, and how will success be measured in the first six months?' Get that answer documented. Luna: And if you're already back and feeling the downshift, it's not too late. Request a career conversation. Use that same question. Lucas: For managers listening: don't assume. Ask. And if you've already redistributed someone's projects, have an honest conversation about how to rebuild their portfolio over time. Luna: Because the goal isn't just to get women back to work. It's to get them back to the work that matters — the work that builds their career. Lucas: And that benefits everyone. Companies that retain and promote women after leave outperform peers on profitability and innovation. It's not just fair — it's smart. Luna: So a small conversation, handled well, can change a career trajectory. Handled badly, it can derail it. Lucas: And the difference is often just a few minutes of intentionality. Ask, don't assume. Plan, don't react. Luna: Worth remembering next time someone says, 'We thought you might want something more manageable.' Lucas: Yeah. The right response might be: 'I appreciate that. Let me tell you what I actually want.'