How The Pandemic Hurts Working Mothers

The pandemic has revealed both the strengths and the weaknesses of our society. While Americans were quick to praise heroes like healthcare workers and teachers, we are not as willing to support them if it comes at a perceived personal cost.  This is especially true for our treatment of working mothers.

What sort of government support do working mothers have?

As the pandemic rages on, working mothers across the country are being forced into the impossible position of choosing between properly caring for their children and keeping their jobs. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any government support to make the situation easier. While the Families First Coronavirus Response Act was enacted this spring for the purpose of providing expanded family and sick leaves for reasons related to Covid-19, it has fallen short in relieving the burden of working mothers. 

The Center for WorkLife Law, which provides legal resources to help workers claim workplace accommodations and family leaves, noted a  250 percent increase in calls compared to the same time last year. Many of the calls were from those who are ineligible for Family First, as the Act has a number of restrictions, including excluding workers in businesses with more than 500 employees from any of the paid leave provisions. In fact, around 106 million people across the country are not eligible for Family First.

Who is eligible for Family First?

Just assessing if you are eligible for Family First is complex. While there is a chart to explain the program, it’s unclear and unnecessarily complicated, leaving both workers and employers uncertain of where they stand.

Unfortunately, even those who appear to be covered by Family First often end up losing their jobs. Employers look for loopholes, or simply ignore the Act in order to lay off mothers who may require more time off to tend to children, especially during the pandemic.

To make things even more complicated, once women lose their jobs, they are forced to deal with an antiquated unemployment system that often classifies losing work due to COVID-related factors as “personal issues” that are not grounds for benefits.

Was it always this difficult for working mothers to get support?

The truth is, even before the pandemic, the unemployment system was stacked against working women. There are few straightforward legal protections for working mothers, so they often have to turn to things like the Affordable Care Act or the Americans With Disabilities Act to get accommodations… neither of which directly address the needs of working mothers.  In fact, the issues within the Families First Act are merely one symptom of a broader systemic problem.

What will the future look like for working mothers?

The inefficient handling of the pandemic has caused many schools to go completely virtual for the fall, leaving working mothers in an increasingly difficult situation… one that isn’t likely to disappear with a vaccine. Research shows that mothers who leave the labor force suffer economic consequences for decades, often permanently.  This not only hurts women, but also their children, extended family, and society as a whole. 

It doesn’t need to be this way.  Working mothers in many European countries are treated as indispensable caregivers of the next generation of citizens. They’re given extended paid leave, universal childcare, and paid sick days.  Having these family supports allows women to be both productive workers and attentive mothers, a balance that ultimately makes the entire society stronger.