“It’s easier to have a conversation when you come to the table with potential solutions,” said Francka. Francka was concerned the pandemic and her added parental responsibilities would halt her career progression and employee development, but the opposite has held true in her situation, and she encourages other working moms to stay focused on long-term goals. “I worried in the beginning I might miss out on opportunities or [my employer] wouldn’t want to overload me because I have kids at home,” said Francka. “We’ve built a life around having two working parents, so it’s not just important to me but to my family.” Working moms can advocate for themselves by saying no to mom guilt and finding time to care for themselves. “Most of the time we hold stuff in, try to be strong, carry the weight and keep pushing through, but it’s not good in the long run,” said Sharpe. Sharpe says talking through her feelings and challenges with her husband or a
professional, taking breaks from social media and making time for activities she enjoys provide peace. The added weight of being an African American female during a time when racial injustice is such a relevant and sensitive topic has added an extra layer of stress and pain during the pandemic. “I have to show up to work and put on a smiling face when I may be hurting,” said Sharpe. “Still dealing with this in this day and age is hard for me to wrap my head around.” Sharpe finds empowerment in pausing to recognize her own strengths and professional knowledge. “I have a voice, I’m proud of who I am and I’m in a position where I can educate employ - ees,” said Sharpe. Cave firmly believes a focus on grace in sit - uations of ongoing stress makes a difference for employees and employers both. “You can be a great mom and still get emails done, even on a Saturday,” said Cave. “I’m trying to make sure I’m giving myself grace when the balance tips in one direction because of work deadlines and making time
on the other end to go get root beer floats and have fun.” Each of the working moms also acknowledges that changing jobs or leaving the workforce entirely may be the right answer for some, and that’s OK. “By nature, some businesses will not have the ability to provide the flexibility they need,” said Bryant. “People have to find what is right for them, and that may be completely different than what was right six months ago.” The gender gap The Economic Policy Institute reports that on average women are paid 23 percent less than men with similar education and experience. White women are paid 79 cents for every dollar paid a white man, and that number drops to 62 cents for Black women, 57 cents for Native women and 54 cents for Latinas, according to the National Partnership for Women and Families. Normal recessions close the gender pay gap by 2 percent, but a pandemic recession widens it by 5 percent, reports the National
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