In late April, Alexandra Bach Lagos had one of those weeks most lawyers dread. She spent three days out of town conducting depositions, returned and put in two more 12-hour days. While the schedule would be taxing for anyone, it was especially tough for a new mother.
"What keeps me going is having a supportive work environment," said Lagos, explaining that her partners gave her the option of having someone else conduct the out-of-town depositions.
"I said, no, I'm fine. I want that opportunity, and I'm going to take it. But it's the fact that they care and want to make it work that makes a difference," said Lagos, an associate at Shook Hardy & Bacon in Miami.
Workplaces often struggle to keep new mothers engaged and employed. A new study of mothers by www.TheLadders.com shows those who return to full-time work after giving birth said they do so first for financial reasons and second because they enjoy the work.
Yet, even in this troubled economy, new mothers bolt when the juggling act becomes overwhelming.
New mothers, often experienced workers with valued skills, say there are a number of particular workplace factors that keep them in their jobs during that challenging first year, when exhaustion, emotions and changed routines take a toll. Few of those factors cost a company money, yet many employers -- both large and small -- haven't figured them out.
"Good companies are having honest conversations with their new moms," said Jennifer Owens, editorial director of Working Mother. "They are talking to them in a nonjudgmental way about how they can be supportive."
Studies show at most companies, the immediate return rate for mothers is significantly higher than the long-term retention rate. Mothers will tell you their direct supervisor plays a key role in whether they stick around.
Adrienne Zalkind, a public relations executive and mother of two, discovered the importance of talking with her boss when she returned from maternity leave with her now 8-month-old daughter, Chloe. She sat down with her supervisor and discussed more flexible work hours, allowing her to pick up her baby on time from day care.
"If they work with you, it can make all the difference."
Co-workers play a role in retention, too, a factor employers may underestimate. Only two weeks back on the job, Fox News reporter Molly Henneberg attributes her smoother adjustment to "a community of working mothers" at the network who give her advice and encouragement and act as role models.
"The first week can be a difficult emotional transition," Henneberg said. "They told me each day would get better and then I would get into a routine. So far it's worked."
On her second week back, Henneberg experienced her first work/family challenge. An unexpected late night threw a wrench into her child-care arrangement. "It used to be no big deal, but now it was like a military troop movement to make sure the baby was cared for."
Henneberg said her co-workers helped her figure it out, even offering to hold the baby during her live shots. Fortunately, her husband was able to leave work earlier than usual.
Yet, for every story of a supportive workplace, there are mothers who have opposite experiences.
Zalkind said the glare of co-workers who see a flexible work arrangement as perks rather than a different way of putting in the same hours can create the tension that causes a new mother to leave or search for a new job.
"You have to walk out with your head held high, knowing you are working as hard as anyone else. But for some people, day after day, that can be hard to do," Zalkind said.
Some companies have become intentional in their effort to retain new mothers, offering coaching before, during and after maternity leave. Five years ago, Citi, a financial services company, discovered a high percentage of its women who go on maternity leave have 10 years of experience or more -- "talent we can't afford to lose," according to Carolanne Minashi, regional head of diversity for Citi's Markets & Banking Division.
The discovery led to a voluntary program called Maternity Matters. The program, started in the United Kingdom and now offered in the United States, offers group coaching for new moms and their managers and maternity buddies for the women giving birth or adopting.
In the U.K., Citi says its short- and long-term retention of mothers has risen. And, while Citi hasn't released U.S. retention numbers, spokesman Anu Ahluwalia said more than 1,000 of its employees here have participated.
Mothers say perks such as on-site child care and lactation rooms are helpful. But more important, they say, is manager support for their use of family-friendly benefits.
Dominique Kirkland, a forensic toxicologist, has been back at work for about two months after giving birth to her son, KJ. Kirkland is nursing and one of the first to use one of the nine newly established Nursing Mothers Lactation Rooms for University of Miami employees. She said her supervisor has structured her schedule to allow her to pump three times a day, even providing her own private office for two weeks before the nursing center opened. Kirkland's family depends on her income and her work is specialized, giving her and her employer incentive to make her juggling act work.
"It's hectic at times, but an understanding supervisor and co-workers make it a whole lot easier," she said.
Ellen Galinsky, president and co-founder of Families and Work Institute, said a new study shows employers have cut back on part-time work and phased returns. They have also cut down on the amount of paid maternity leave for new mothers, which hits low-wage mothers the hardest.
However, the companies have increased the use of flexible work schedules for mothers who work full-time. And, for the first time, she said she sees progressive companies focused on retaining women after maternity leave and training supervisors to be supportive. They need to understand, she said, "people don't leave jobs. They leave people."
Lagos said that's exactly what she's seen with her peers, new mothers who left their jobs in the time period shortly after giving birth and returning to work.
"They weren't all that happy in their jobs, they had an unsupportive work environment and they didn't have great maternity leave."
As Nicholas turns 10 months old, Lagos said she's learning the balancing act can be challenging but she's determined to make it work: "I love my career. I love being a mom, and I'm not willing to compromise."
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