Working moms most affected by return-to-office policies, says expert

Authors: Doc Louallen

Publisher:

ABC News

Published: 8/13/2025

Language:English

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Aura Windfall

Good morning norristong_x, I'm Aura Windfall, and this is Goose Pod for you. Today is Friday, August 22th. It's 8:00 AM, and we are here to explore a topic that touches the very heart of our modern workforce and family life.

Mask

I'm Mask. We're talking about working mothers being disproportionately slammed by return-to-office policies. It's a massive friction point in the economic engine, and we're going to dissect it. Let's not waste time; let's get into the numbers.

Aura Windfall

Let's get started. The numbers truly are staggering. Since January alone, over 200,000 women have left the labor force. What I know for sure is that this isn't just a statistic; it's a quiet crisis unfolding in homes and workplaces across the country.

Mask

It’s an economic disaster hiding in plain sight. Experts are pointing fingers at two culprits: inflexible workplace mandates and the insane cost of childcare. The economy is essentially telling half of its most capable talent to just stay home. It’s inefficient and illogical.

Aura Windfall

Exactly. A study from the University of Kansas found a nearly 3% drop in labor force participation for women aged 25-44 with a child under five. It’s a moment so many women face, what Professor Corinne Low calls "the squeeze" in their mid-30s.

Mask

"The squeeze" is where peak career investment collides with peak family demands. And the data backs it up. Women are three times more likely than men to quit because of childcare issues. Sixty percent of female entrepreneurs say it’s actively hindering their businesses. This is a bottleneck.

Aura Windfall

And it’s not just about childcare; it's a multigenerational caregiving crisis. Nearly one in four American adults is caring for a child or an adult with complex needs. That's a 45% increase since 2015! So many are part of the "sandwich generation."

Mask

Which makes the economic fallout even bigger. A U.S. Chamber of Commerce study found states lose, on average, a billion dollars in economic activity annually because of these childcare breakdowns. A billion dollars! We're just leaving money on the table because of broken systems.

Aura Windfall

It’s a profound loss of potential, for individuals and for the economy. It’s clear that this is more than just a personal problem; it’s a systemic one. Some states are trying to act, creating more childcare slots and offering tax credits.

Mask

Patchwork solutions. Kansas and Missouri are making some moves, and the federal government tripled the employer-provided childcare credit. It’s a start, but it’s like trying to fix a dam with chewing gum. The scale of the problem demands a much more audacious solution.

Aura Windfall

That’s so true. Because when a woman has to choose between her career and her family, we all lose. Her "aha moment" becomes a moment of sacrifice, and that's a truth we need to change. The potential we're shelving is immeasurable.

Mask

It's not just immeasurable; it's quantifiable in the billions. The system is forcing a choice that is economically irrational. We need to look at how this archaic structure was even built. The history here is probably just as illogical.

Aura Windfall

That’s a powerful question: How did we get here? The story of women in the workforce isn't a straight line. It’s more of a U-shape, historically. In the 18th and 19th centuries, women were central to the family economy, producing goods at home.

Mask

Right, they were entrepreneurs out of necessity. Then mechanization moved production into factories, and women's participation in the market economy plummeted. The first wave back into the workforce was primarily poor, single women in manufacturing or domestic service. Marriage meant leaving your job.

Aura Windfall

And that began to shift in the 1930s. More married women started entering and staying in the workforce, especially with the rise of clerical jobs. But the real shift, what some call the "Quiet Revolution," happened from the late 70s onward.

Mask

That's when women started planning for long, continuous careers. They invested in education, delayed marriage, and planned for careers with status, not just jobs. The birth control pill was a massive disruptor here, giving women unprecedented control over their life trajectory and career investment.

Aura Windfall

And as women’s roles changed, the conversation around childcare had to change, too. But it has always been a complicated and often contentious issue in the U.S. In the late 19th century, childcare was stigmatized, seen as a service for the poor.

Mask

Stigmatized and inefficient. Then you had the Progressive Era with two conflicting ideas: reformers wanting professional nurseries and others pushing for mothers' pensions to keep women at home. The pension idea won because it didn't challenge the status quo. It was the path of least resistance.

Aura Windfall

Even during the Great Depression, the government-sponsored Emergency Nursery Schools were created more to employ teachers than to provide childcare. It was a means to an end, not a direct support system for working mothers, who were still viewed with skepticism by many.

Mask

Then came World War II, the ultimate stress test. Millions of women flooded the workforce out of patriotic duty, but the government was ridiculously reluctant to fund childcare. They called mothers staying home an "essential patriotic service," completely ignoring the labor shortage. It makes no sense.

Aura Windfall

It’s a profound disconnect, isn't it? Even with the Lanham Act funding some wartime childcare, it was a fraction of what was needed. The media often criticized working mothers as "selfish," creating this deep cultural conflict that we still feel the echoes of today.

Mask

And after the war, poof. The funding was cut. But women kept working. The problem didn't go away; the inadequate solution did. This led to decades of patchwork fixes—a tax deduction here, a block grant there. Never a real, comprehensive strategy. It’s a history of incrementalism and failure.

Aura Windfall

The closest we came was the Comprehensive Child Development Act of 1971. It would have created a national network of childcare centers. But President Nixon vetoed it, fearing it would weaken the family structure. It was a pivotal moment of choosing ideology over need.

Mask

A catastrophic error. So instead of a unified, efficient system, we got a class-divided mess. Support for low-income families tied to welfare-to-work programs, and some tax benefits for the middle and upper class. It's a system designed to fail, which is why the U.S. lags so far behind other developed nations.

Aura Windfall

And through it all, the Women's Bureau, established in 1920, has been advocating for change. From pushing for the eight-hour day and equal pay to, more recently, championing affordable childcare and paid family leave. It's been a long, slow, determined march.

Mask

A hundred-year battle against inertia. The fact that we're still having this conversation, that women's labor participation is backsliding after peaking, shows that the fundamental structural problems were never solved. The foundation is rotten, and now we see the cracks.

Aura Windfall

And those cracks are showing most clearly in this debate over returning to the office. What I find so fascinating is that we might be asking the wrong question entirely. It's not about remote versus hybrid versus in-office. It’s about the environment leaders create.

Mask

Exactly. The model is irrelevant if the core practices are broken. A McKinsey study is crystal clear on this. Leaders are dragging people back to the office to improve collaboration, connectivity, and innovation, but employees say the company is failing at those things regardless of location!

Aura Windfall

There is such a disconnect. Leaders are overwhelmingly optimistic, with 90% rating connectivity as effective, while only 67% of employees agree. For so many, the return to the office hasn't magically fixed a broken culture; it has only added a commute and more stress.

Mask

It's a failure of leadership, plain and simple. They're using a blunt instrument—RTO mandates—to solve a nuanced problem of organizational health. And the data shows no clear winner. Intent to quit is around 39% across all models. People aren't quitting the model; they're quitting the broken experience.

Aura Windfall

And that burnout is real. A third of all workers report it, with remote workers actually showing slightly higher levels than the pandemic average. It tells me that flexibility isn't just about location; it's about trust, autonomy, and feeling supported. That’s the truth of it.

Mask

Flexibility is a competitive advantage. It's a recruitment and retention tool. Candidates are demanding it. Seventy percent of managers are more open to it now. Companies that resist are just limiting their talent pool and clinging to an outdated, inefficient model of oversight. They will lose.

Aura Windfall

It seems so clear, doesn’t it? When you offer people control over their lives, they are more productive and more loyal. It’s about building a culture of trust rather than a culture of surveillance. The conflict isn’t about a place; it's about a principle.

Mask

The principle is simple: treat people like adults. Give them a mission, give them the tools, and get out of the way. Mandating location is a proxy for poor management. If you can't measure output, you measure attendance. It's primitive. The impact of this thinking is enormous.

Aura Windfall

The impact is truly profound, especially on mothers. We’re seeing their labor supply is more "elastic." That’s an economic term, but what it means in human terms is that their decision to work is incredibly sensitive to these pressures—wages, flexibility, and support.

Mask

It means they're the first to be pushed out when the labor market weakens or when policies become hostile to family life. It's not a cultural revolution of women wanting to stay home; it's an economic reaction to a system that's failing them. They're making a rational choice within a broken system.

Aura Windfall

And this creates a devastating "double shift." During the pandemic, one in three working mothers considered downshifting or leaving their jobs. They are 1.5 times more likely than fathers to spend an extra three or more hours a day on housework and childcare. It's simply unsustainable.

Mask

The economic value of that unpaid labor is staggering—$10 trillion, or 13 percent of global GDP. We're not talking about a small, niche problem. We are talking about a massive, systemic inefficiency that has huge consequences for our entire economy and our society.

Aura Windfall

And it disproportionately affects mothers of color. Latina mothers are 1.6 times more likely than white mothers to be responsible for all childcare and housework. Black mothers are twice as likely. These policies aren't just inconvenient; they are deeply inequitable. What I know for sure is that this impacts generations.

Mask

It's a pipeline problem. For every 100 men promoted to manager, only 58 Black women and 71 Latinas are. The system is leaking talent at every level. Fifty-seven percent of working mothers with young kids feel held back professionally by childcare duties. We are actively suppressing our own growth.

Aura Windfall

So, where do we go from here? The future seems to be undeniably hybrid. It’s no longer a trend; it's the new standard. Companies that don’t adapt are going to find themselves in a war for talent they can’t win. The spirit of work is changing.

Mask

The data is clear: 70% of the global workforce will be working remotely at least five days a month by the end of 2025. The future is about "team days" for collaboration and remote days for focused work. It's a more intentional, efficient model.

Aura Windfall

And technology will play a huge role in making this work. AI, virtual reality, augmented reality—these aren't just buzzwords. They are tools that can make remote collaboration more immersive and bridge the gap between the digital and physical workplace, creating connection.

Mask

AI-driven scheduling tools will optimize workflows, balancing productivity with personal boundaries. This isn't about replacing humans; it's about augmenting their ability to do their best work, wherever they are. The future of work is about radical flexibility, powered by technology. It's inevitable.

Aura Windfall

From the loss of flexibility to the high cost of childcare, it's clear that supporting working mothers isn't just a social issue; it's an economic imperative. The future demands policies that reflect the reality of modern family life, like universal childcare and paid leave.

Mask

That's the end of today's discussion. The friction is obvious, the solution is structural change. Don't accept inefficiency. Thank you for listening to Goose Pod. See you tomorrow.

## Working Moms Increasingly Leaving the Workforce Due to Return-to-Office Mandates and Childcare Costs **News Title:** Working moms most affected by return-to-office policies, says expert **Report Provider:** ABC News **Author:** Doc Louallen **Date/Time Period Covered:** January to June of this year (for the study data); End of 2024 and Q2 of this year (for Fortune 500 data); 2022 (for childcare cost analysis). **News Identifier:** Article, 124613629 ### Key Findings and Conclusions: A growing number of working mothers are leaving the U.S. workforce. This trend is primarily attributed to two major factors: 1. **Return-to-Office (RTO) Mandates:** Employers are increasingly requiring employees, particularly those in white-collar jobs who worked remotely during the pandemic, to return to the office for multiple days a week. This reduces the flexibility that many working mothers relied on to manage childcare responsibilities. 2. **Increasing Cost of Childcare:** The high expense of childcare makes it difficult for mothers to afford to work outside the home, often forcing them to choose between their careers and caring for their children. ### Key Statistics and Metrics: * **Decline in Workforce Participation:** Between January and June of this year, the number of women in the U.S. workforce between ages 25 and 44 with a child younger than 5 years old **fell by nearly 3%**. * **RTO Mandates by Fortune 500 Companies:** * At the end of 2024, **13%** of Fortune 500 companies mandated full-time in-office requirements. * This number **nearly doubled** by the second quarter of this year, with **24%** of Fortune 500 companies requiring their employees to work on-site full time. * **Childcare Costs (2022 U.S. Department of Labor Analysis):** * Families spent between **8.9% and 16%** of their income on full-day childcare for a single child, averaging between **$6,552 and $15,600 annually**. * Even part-day childcare cost between **8.1% to 9.4%** of annual median household income, or between **$5,943 and $9,211 a year**. ### Important Recommendations and Expert Opinions: * **Julie Vogtman, senior director of job quality at the National Women's Law Center**, highlights that return-to-office policies disproportionately affect women due to their historical role in shouldering childcare responsibilities. * Vogtman emphasizes that the issue extends beyond simply "watching children during work hours." It encompasses the need for flexibility to handle unexpected situations, long commutes, and family emergencies. * She points out that for mothers in jobs that cannot be performed remotely (e.g., retail, food service), the inability to afford childcare forces a difficult choice between working and caring for their children. * Vogtman advocates for federal policies that support workers and employers, such as universal childcare, flexible work arrangements (locations and hours), and paid family and medical leave. These policies, she argues, would create a more level playing field for businesses of all sizes. ### Significant Trends or Changes: * A notable increase in the number of working mothers leaving the workforce. * A significant rise in the percentage of Fortune 500 companies mandating full-time in-office work. * The disappearance of pandemic-era work flexibility is forcing many mothers to choose between work and family. ### Notable Risks or Concerns: * The potential for a significant portion of the female workforce to be excluded due to inflexible work policies and high childcare costs. * The impact on family well-being and economic stability when mothers are forced out of the workforce. * The failure of current federal policies to adequately support working families and employers. ### Material Financial Data: * The annual cost of full-day childcare for a single child can range from **$6,552 to $15,600**, representing **8.9% to 16%** of family income. * The annual cost of part-day childcare can range from **$5,943 to $9,211**, representing **8.1% to 9.4%** of median household income.

Read original at ABC News →

New data shows that an increasing number of working mothers are leaving the workforce, with both return-to-office work mandates and the increasing cost of childcare among the reasons.A study published by the Care Board at the University of Kansas found that between January and June of this year, the number of women in the U.

S. workforce between ages 25 and 44 with a child younger that 5 years old fell by nearly 3%."One factor here is return-to-office policies," Julie Vogtman, senior director of job quality at the National Women's Law Center, told ABC News. "We're seeing employers demand that people in white-collar jobs who started working remotely during the pandemic return to the office three or four or even five days a week, and this can certainly make it harder to manage childcare."

Vogtman says because it's women who historically shoulder childcare responsibilities, they're the demographic most affected by return-to-office policies, more than their male counterparts."When that flexibility disappears, they can find that they need to choose between work and family instead of having the option to do both," Vogtman told ABC News.

Julie Vogtman breaks down why a growing number of moms are leaving the workforce.ABC NewsThe shift comes as major employers, including Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, Starbucks and Zoom, are requiring employees to transition back to working in-office. Data from the Flex Index shows that 13% of Fortune 500 companies mandated full-time in-office requirements in the end of 2024.

That number nearly doubled by the second quarter of this year, with 24% of Fortune 500 companies requiring their employess to work on-site full time.When asked if such mandates were unreasonable for employers to make, rather than having employees attending to their children during work hours, Vogtman said for working moms, it goes beyond that."

This isn't just about watching children during work hours," she said. "It's about having the flexibility to handle unexpected situations without facing a long commute, or being able to quickly respond to family emergencies."Working on-site is even more difficult for moms whose jobs can't be performed remotely, such as retail or food service jobs, who have to pay for childcare, Vogtman said.

That often means they have to choose between work, or taking care of their kids.Popular Reads"Childcare is incredibly expensive," Vogtman said. "When you can't afford childcare, you're finding yourself with the need to choose between work and family rather than having the opportunity to do both."An analysis published in November by the U.

S. Department of Labor found that U.S. families in 2022 spent between 8.9% and 16% of their income on full-day childcare for a single child, an average of between $6,552 and $15,600 annually. Even childcare for part of a day cost between 8.1% to 9.4% of annual median household income, or between $5,943 and $9,211 a year.

STOCK IMAGE/Getty ImagesWhile some companies recognize that supporting employees' needs can improve productivity and reduce turnover, "that's not what we see from the majority of employers," Vogtman said."Our federal policies aren't just failing workers – they're failing employers, because policies like universal childcare, like flexibility for different work locations and hours, like paid family and medical leave level the playing field so it's not just large corporate employers who can make sure their employees have the support they need, but small, local businesses, too," according to Vogtman.

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