Exploring the Motherhood Penalty with Schnel Hanson, (MCIPD)
- 1 day ago
- 8 min read
Schnel Hanson is a Chartered HR Practitioner (MCIPD), a qualified educator (PGCE), an executive coach, and a dedicated PhD researcher. Her research explores women’s occupational wellbeing and leadership journeys, with a special focus on identity, maternity transitions, and the impact of workplace culture. Schnel is driven by a passion for supporting women’s career progression and workplace wellbeing, blending academic insight with years of hands-on experience in corporate HR, leadership development, and organisational wellbeing. Schnel’s approach is grounded, practical and always people focused, and we are delighted to have her as our Professional Women’s Group (PWG) co-chair.
Schnel spoke to us about the motherhood penalty, what it means for mothers returning to the workplace, and how it contributes to a wider culture of inequality.
What is the Motherhood Penalty?
The motherhood penalty refers to the systemic disadvantages women face in the workplace after becoming parents. These disadvantages typically show up in lower pay, fewer promotions, reduced job security, and limited career progression compared to both men and women without children. Today, the motherhood penalty is the leading cause behind the gender pay gap, accounting for 60-80%, according to research by PwC.[1]
In the UK, mothers earn on average 24% less per hour than fathers.[2] Meanwhile, becoming a parent usually increases a man’s pay and position at work – a phenomenon known as the ‘fatherhood bonus.’ Single mothers face the highest pay gap, earning approximately 53% less than the average man and 37% less than the average woman.[3]
Women can lose over £65,000 in earnings within five years of having their first child. Recent research from the Office of National Statistics found that women’s average monthly earnings fell by 42%, or £1,051 per month, five years after the birth of their first child, compared with their pay one year before. This equates to a loss of £65,618 over five years.[4]
Schnel told us: 'The motherhood penalty is not a marginal issue; it is a systemic failure within the workforce. As a Chartered HR Practitioner and researcher, I regularly witness mothers being not only overlooked but structurally disadvantaged at pivotal career moments. Women are expected to bear the economic and professional costs of motherhood, resulting in long-term talent loss, diminished leadership diversity, and deepening inequality. Organisations cannot afford to dismiss this as merely a 'women’s issue'.' It is a business, economic, and societal imperative.'
Contributing Factors
The motherhood penalty can be linked to legislative shortcomings and cultural or social biases, reflecting a broader need to address systemic inequality at every level.
Unequal Caregiving Responsibilities
Women continue to take on the majority of childcare and unpaid domestic labour, and they are more likely to reduce working hours or leave the workforce altogether after having children.
42% of women work part-time compared to just 15% of men, according to recent data. In London, there are over 125,300 more men in work than women, with women being significantly more likely to not be working because they were looking after the home or family. In the capital, 7% of women, around 255,100 individuals, are homemakers compared to 0.8% (or 29,600) men.[5]
Schnel says: 'From an HR and organisational design perspective, prevailing work models are built on the outdated assumption that employees have no caregiving responsibilities. In truth, women continue to bear a disproportionate burden of unpaid labour, yet workplaces have not evolved to meet this reality. The result is a hidden penalty: commitment is gauged by presence rather than performance. Until organisations fundamentally rethink roles, expectations, and career pathways to accommodate caregiving, women will remain at the margins of advancement.'
Workplace Bias and Discrimination
Mothers often face assumptions that they are less committed or less productive employees, with many having faced clear discrimination. According to research from Pregnant Then Screwed and Women in Data, up to 74,000 new or expectant parents lose their jobs each year due to pregnancy and maternity discrimination.[6]
'Extensive research, such as Correll, Benard, and Paik (2007)[7], demonstrates that mothers face significant workplace discrimination and wage penalties compared to non-mothers,' Schnel explains. 'Too many women navigate pregnancy and return-to-work transitions without sufficient support or clear understanding of their rights. As HR practitioners, we have a responsibility to foster psychologically safe workplaces where women feel protected, informed, and genuinely valued. This requires more than mere compliance with employment law, it demands proactive advocacy. Managers must be properly trained, policies must be actively implemented rather than passively documented, and workplaces must ensure women are not quietly leaving due to preventable experiences of bias or discrimination.’
Dress for Success Greater London Chair and Founder, Attorney Juanita Brown Ingram, has experienced this for herself, telling us:
I experienced maternity bias firsthand. I am a licensed attorney with multiple degrees, and yet it still happened to me. After a difficult pregnancy, my doctor required that I take 10 weeks of maternity leave instead of the standard six in the US. When I returned, I was told that my manager resented my decision to have a child, that he was disappointed in my ramp-up time, and that I had not been there long enough to do that to him. My boss said that is why he was placing me in the first round of redundancies during a company-wide downsizing. My credentials, my track record, my commitment to my career: none of it mattered. Becoming a mother had changed how I was valued as a professional. That experience is one of the reasons I am so passionate about the work we do at Dress for Success. I know what it feels like to be pushed out of a role you earned, and I know how important it is for women to have support and community when they are rebuilding. No woman should have to choose between becoming a parent and being taken seriously in her career.
Structural Policy Gaps
In the UK, childcare for children under two at a full-time nursery can cost as much as £14,200 per year, according to the charity, Coram.[8] And, while the UK government has introduced 30 hours a week of funded childcare for working parents, unaffordable childcare remains a barrier. For some mothers, it is simply not financially viable for them to work while paying for their children’s care.
Furthermore, imbalances in maternity versus paternity leave remain stark. Mothers in the UK receive up to 52 weeks of maternity leave, receiving 90% of their salary in the first six weeks, and at a minimum statutory rate for the rest. Meanwhile, fathers only receive two weeks’ paternity leave, paid at a minimum statutory rate. Recent survey data found that almost a third of fathers took no paternity leave after the birth of their child.[9] This reinforces traditional gender roles and leaves new mothers shouldering more childcare responsibilities – while their careers take a backseat.
How the Motherhood Penalty Drives Gender Inequality
The motherhood penalty is not just an individual issue: it is a structural one that shapes the entire labour market and contributes significantly to gender inequality in the workplace and beyond.
The gender pay gap widens for many women in their 30s, when they begin to have children. There remains a direct correlation between motherhood, career progression, and economic status. The motherhood penalty reinforces economic dependency and long-term wealth inequality, which directly impacts a woman’s autonomy, and the opportunities and choices that she has.
It still feels as though women have to choose between becoming a parent and investing in their career. There are fewer women in senior leadership roles than there ought to be; women retire with pension savings of £69,000 on average, compared to £205,000 for men[9]; and women are more likely to give up paid work or cut down their hours compared to men, even if they’re earning more.[10] All of this contributes to broader biases that undervalue women and their work, both domestic and paid. Gender inequality cannot be fully understood – or addressed – without tackling the motherhood penalty.
Schnel attests: ‘The motherhood penalty is a major contributor to gender inequality across the employee lifecycle, affecting pay, career progression, leadership representation, and women’s long-term financial independence. Tackling this issue demands systemic change rather than isolated initiatives. We need integrated strategies encompassing policy, workplace culture, leadership accountability, and career design. Crucially, the focus should not be on 'fixing women' to fit the workplace, but on evolving workplaces to reflect the realities of modern life. As highlighted by the CIPD (2023)[12], organisations must move beyond compliance and implement holistic approaches to support working mothers and advance gender equality.’
What Can Organisations Do to Support Parents?
While policy change is critical, employers play a central role in reducing the motherhood penalty. Evidence shows that targeted workplace interventions can significantly improve retention, progression and pay equity for mothers.
1: Offer Flexible Working
Flexible work is one of the most effective tools to support working parents. This includes remote and/or hybrid work, flexible and compressed hours, and job-sharing arrangements. Flexible working enables parents to remain in the workforce without sacrificing caregiving responsibilities, and it is increasingly recognised as essential to an inclusive workplace.
2: Improve Parental Leave for All Genders
Equal and well-paid parental leave for both parents helps to distribute caregiving. It encourages father to take a more active role; reduces the long-term career impact on mothers; and helps normalise parenting responsibilities across genders.
'Equitable parental leave is one of the most effective tools organisations can use to challenge the motherhood penalty,' Schnel says. 'When caregiving is normalised across all genders, it helps break down bias, encourages shared responsibility at home and at work, and safeguards women’s career progression. From a CIPD perspective, inclusive leave policies go beyond being progressive, they are fundamental to building resilient, high-performing organisations where everyone can thrive.'
3: Tackle Bias and Workplace Culture
Cultural change is key, and organisations must commit to building fair and equitable workplaces. Bias remains a key driver of unequal outcomes for women and needs to be actively addressed.
Schnel explains: 'Tackling bias requires deliberate action at every level. First, organisations must challenge assumptions about mothers’ commitment and capability through targeted manager training and clear accountability. Second, performance and progression criteria should be transparent and focused on measurable outcomes, not simply on visibility. Third, organisations need to actively monitor and analyse career progression data for returners to identify and address disparities. Without data-driven action, bias remains hidden and unchallenged.'
4: Support Returners and Women’s Career Progression
'From an HR and organisational design perspective, much of our current approach to work is built on the outdated assumption that employees are unencumbered by caregiving responsibilities,' Schnel continues. 'In reality, women continue to bear a disproportionate share of unpaid labour, yet workplaces have been slow to adapt. This disconnect creates a hidden penalty, as commitment is too often equated with presence rather than performance. Supporting organisations means rethinking the fundamental processes and steps that shape the employee experience, such as onboarding, parental leave transitions, flexible work arrangements, and career progression. By intentionally redesigning roles, expectations, and pathways with caregiving realities in mind, organisations can foster a more inclusive and equitable workforce.’
5: Provide Childcare Support
Employers can ease one of the biggest barriers to women’s employment by offering things like childcare subsidies or vouchers, or even by providing on-site childcare where possible. Accessible, affordable childcare enables mothers to remain in paid work and progress in their careers.
Building Long-Term Economic Independence
We support many mothers on their journey back into work, including single mothers. We provide them with access to clothing, tools, workplace development programmes and ongoing support, giving them the skills, knowledge and community they need to build long-term economic independence. This is the heart of our mission. We support women at key transition points, help to rebuild their confidence after career breaks, and advocate for more inclusive employment practices that empower women at every stage of their lives. Support our mission by donating today.
Find out about our Professional Women’s Group, co-chaired each month by Schnel Hanson, here.
[2] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/08/uk-mothers-earned-444-less-an-hour-than-fathers-in-2023-finds-analysis
[3] https://www.pensionspolicyinstitute.org.uk/media/ysgmnwtl/20240207-underpensioned-defining-the-gender-pension-gap-final.pdf
[4] https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/oct/03/mothers-lose-an-average-65618-in-pay-by-the-time-their-first-child-turns-five
[7] Correll, S. J., Benard, S., & Paik, I. (2007). Getting a job: Is there a motherhood penalty? American Journal of Sociology, 112(5), 1297–1338.
[8] https://www.totaljobs.com/recruiter-advice/managing-people/parental-pay-gap-exploring-the-fatherhood-bonus-vs-the-motherhood-penalty/
[9] https://www.theguardian.com/money/2023/jun/15/measly-paternity-rights-mean-nearly-third-uk-fathers-take-no-leave-report
[11] https://ifs.org.uk/news/women-much-more-likely-men-give-paid-work-or-cut-hours-after-childbirth-even-when-they-earn
[12] Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). (2023). Maternity and paternity rights: Supporting parents at work. Retrieved from https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/factsheets/maternity-paternity-rights-factsheet/