A new research report warns that workplaces risk continuing to lose working mothers at scale unless they rethink how work is designed around maternity leave, return to work, and long-term sustainability.
According to Executive Moms’ annual report, 97.5% of working mothers say they would stay longer at a company that meaningfully supports working motherhood, yet 40% leave their job after having a baby when that support falls short. The findings suggest that attrition is now driven by a lack of ambition or commitment, but by systems that fail to evolve when employees do.
The report examines the full arc of working motherhood, from maternity leave through reentry and beyond, and reframes retention as a work design challenge rather than an individual one.
The data reveals that attrition among working mothers is concentrated in a narrow window following maternity leave. Of the nearly 40% of mothers who leave, 65% do so within the first year, indicating that most do not exit impulsively but after sustained strain.
Instead, the report finds many mothers attempt to make it work, absorbing strain quietly as expectations resume without recalibration. When roles, workloads, and performance norms remain unchanged, staying becomes unsustainable over time.
The report underscores the significant role managers play during reentry: 68% of mothers say their manager had the single biggest impact on whether their return to work was positive or negative. However, individual support alone is not enough. Globally, regardless of how much paid leave was taken, 63% of respondents identified flexible work design as the most impactful systemic change for improving the sustainability of working motherhood, outweighing compensation or one-time benefits.
When flexibility is informal or manager-dependent, outcomes vary widely. When it is clearly defined and structurally supported, retention improves.
Contrary to persistent narratives, the report finds no evidence that working mothers lose ambition after having children. Instead, many describe a shift in how ambition is expressed, becoming more selective about where time and energy are invested. Over three-quarters (76%) of mothers said flexibility matters more than compensation, and 78% reported that motherhood made them better leaders, citing stronger prioritization, judgment, and focus. What can appear as disengagement is often a rejection of outdated performance models built around constant availability rather than impact.
Rather than framing working motherhood as a cultural or values issue, the report positions it as a matter of execution. It outlines practical steps organizations can take now, including structured reentry planning, role protection during leave, clearer expectations, and expanded postpartum mental health benefits.
