The Motherhood Penalty: Our Take as Moms & Employers

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 consequences. Melissa and Esther reflect on their own experiences as moms and founders, including Melissa hiding her pregnancy while raising Pok Pok’s seed round. They also explore the hard question of: would you hire someone who’s seven months pregnant when your company needs help now? They also discuss the privilege of budgeting for parental leave as the company grows, if there is a fatherhood penalty, Belgium’s daycare shortage, and speaking at a tech conference five weeks postpartum. Write in to us at hello@parentingapparently.com Subscribe and follow **Parenting, Apparently**, a podcast by Melissa Cash, Esther Huybreghts, and the Pok Pok team: YouTube Pok Pok YouTube Instagram Pok Pok helps raise the next generation of creative thinkers through non-addictive digital tools that encourage kids to think outside the box and learn through play. Learn more: https://playpokpok.com * * * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.