Executive Parents Risk Coworker Resentment for Taking Leave to Raise Kids

For all of the working-mom success stories like Brenda Barnes, who came off a six-year stint as a stay-at-home mom to become CEO of Sara Lee this February, executives still face workplace ambiguity when it comes to parenthood. According to a survey conducted by TheLadders.com, the worldís leading $100,000 jobs Web site, the majority of executives want to continue working after having kids, yet the specter of coworker resentment for extended parental hiatusí looms large.



When asked to describe their perceptions of executives who return to the workforce after a multi-year hiatus to raise children, 42% of the survey respondents said the execs were ìresented for taking time off.î Another 23% feared that anyone taking an extended leave was ìtoo far removed from the action to be effective.î In stark contrast to those negative sentiments, 34% said that executives returning from an extended maternity/paternity leave would be ìvalued for their renewed perspectiveî (see chart below).

Likely due to those perceptions, executive parents are determined to keep one foot firmly planted in the workplace. When asked what they would do if money was no object and they had young children, 53% of executives said they would continue to work, but at a reduced load. Thirty-nine percent of the executives surveyed said they would devote themselves full-time to the family, opting to become a stay-at-home parent. Just 9% said theyíd continue working full-time (see chart below).

According to the survey, the average allotment for paid maternity leave is 9-weeks. Forty-four percent of respondents said they receive 6-weeks paid leave; 27% receive 12-weeks; 17% receive 8-weeks; 6% receive 16-weeks; and 6% receive more than 16-weeks. When asked: Are the maternity policies at your company sufficient, the response was split down the middle. Fifty-three percent said ìyesî and 47% said ìno.î

ìCompanies need diverse workforces to thrive in todayís economy. Varied, well-informed perspectives are critical to any businessí interaction with customers,î said TheLadders.com president and CEO, Marc Cenedella. ìBut, for those executives who want to take an extended leave, the key to a smooth transition back into the workforce is to stay engaged: keep reading and sending e-mails, meeting with colleagues and reading the trade publications. It is important not to get too far removed.î

TheLadders.comís look at parental leave is based on a series of surveys of registered $100k executives conducted on TheLadders.com Web site between July 8th, 2005 and August 18th, 2005. The number of responses and margin of error for each survey is as follows:

If money was no object and I had young children, I would ______. 1530 Responses; Margin of Error: 3%.

I believe that executives who return to the workforce after a multi-year hiatus to raise children are______. 1206 Responses; Margin of Error: 3%.

How much time does your company allot for paid maternity leave? 478 Responses; Margin of Error 5%.

Are the maternity leave policies at your company sufficient? 487 Responses; Margin of Error 5%.