Outline:
Gender disparity influences women’s economic and social results across nearly all areas. It can be observed in wages, job opportunities andearningshortcomings, trends of job separation by gender, and the low number of women in top positions and governmental bodies.
These disparities become more pronounced for women who assume the main responsibility for raising children, typically at the time when their careers would otherwise experience significant growth.
A research conducted in Germany indicates that when women take on the responsibility of child-rearing, they are often given less analytical, complicated, and interactive tasks, especially if they decrease their working hours — modifications that may subtly limit future prospects for career growth.
The motherhood penalty
A newly released article in the Journal of Marriage and Family titled The Job Task Penalty for Motherhood, authored by Wiebke Schulz from Bremen University and Gundula Zoch from Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, examines shifts in job responsibilities among 1,978 women, utilizing data from the German National Educational Panel Study spanning from 2011 to 2020.
They monitor variations in five major aspects of job tasks assigned to women, over three waves covering a 12-year span, namely analytical, complex, autonomous, interactive, and manual.
Interactive and analytical roles
Wiebke Schulz stated that interactive tasks typically involve predictability and “being available” for colleagues and clients. When caregiving responsibilities emerge — or are expected to increase — these tasks are most straightforward to transfer due to their high coordination requirements and time-sensitive nature.
Analytical or complicated tasks may deteriorate for two main reasons. In certain roles, they demand continuous focus or the management of extended work procedures, which becomes more challenging when there is time pressure and interrupted schedules.
“However, it is important to note that decreases can also indicate managerial expectations: supervisors might proactively guide mothers away from high-responsibility, high-growth tasks, irrespective of their actual capabilities,” Wiebke Schulz mentioned to Euronews Business.
She observed that following childbirth, numerous roles or responsibilities assigned to women tend to move away from “high-cognitive, high-interaction” tasks towards a more limited range of duties. This shift is not merely about changing jobs, but is evident in the alteration of women’s work activities after they become mothers, particularly when they opt for reduced working hours.
Even minor short-term task reductions can add up. “If analytical, complex, and interactive tasks are where skills develop, performance indicators are generated, and leadership pipelines are formed, then losing access to them can hinder wage growth, decrease promotion opportunities, and keep people on flatter career paths—even if their job titles remain the same,” she stated.
Although the study focuses on Germany, the results have wide applicability and go beyond its boundaries. She emphasized that this is a comparable trend throughout Europe, although the magnitude and form of the impact will differ based on institutions and cultural norms.
Suggestions to tackle this disparity
An approach to tackle this issue is to ensure task distribution is transparent. Monitoring which individuals receive high-impact assignments — like managing major clients, handling intricate cases, or leading projects — before and after taking parental leave or transitioning to part-time roles can highlight when and where opportunities subtly vanish.
Employers may also reconsider the structure of part-time positions. By dividing intricate tasks into smaller, manageable components, establishing clear handover procedures, and placing greater emphasis on team accountability, work that requires analysis and significant responsibility doesn’t necessarily need to be restricted to full-time employees.
A vital step is educating managers to identify bias rooted in expectations. The main danger lies in premature reallocation: assignments are shifted not due to changes in performance, but based on assumptions regarding future availability or dedication.
Her suggestions include increasing access to full-day child care and school services, enhancing protections for flexible work arrangements alongside career security, and encouraging fathers to take leave and engage in caregiving to challenge the “mother is the default adjuster” mindset that influences employer attitudes.