In this episode of “Parenting, apparently”, Melissa and Esther unpack the “motherhood penalty”: the bias mothers can face in hiring, pay, promotions, and how their boundaries are perceived at work.
The conversation was inspired by a recent interview Melissa had with a candidate for a role at Pok Pok. It was a mother who arrived on the call with her two-month-old on her lap, nursing on and off throughout the interview, and (correctly) assumed it wouldn’t be a problem. For Melissa, it became an unexpectedly emotional moment of trust in a world where being a mom at work can come with real consequences.
Melissa and Esther reflect on their own experiences as moms and founders, including Melissa hiding her pregnancy while raising Pok Pok’s seed round. They also explore the hard question of: would you hire someone who’s seven months pregnant when your company needs help now?
They also discuss the privilege of budgeting for parental leave as the company grows, if there is a fatherhood penalty, Belgium’s daycare shortage, and speaking at a tech conference five weeks postpartum.