By: Janifer Wheeler, The JOYFull BadAss

Create an inclusive workplace this Mother’s Day! Explore actionable strategies to support caregivers, ensure equity, and foster workplace joy for all employees.

Here’s a truth that transcends industries, borders, and boardrooms: nobody got here without a mother. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from; your life started with someone who carried you, raised you, or shaped your path. 

Motherhood, in all its forms, is the root system of humanity. As we celebrate Mother’s Day, it’s worth reflecting on how this universal connection impacts not just our personal lives but our workplaces, too.

But here’s where the conversation gets real. We can’t talk about motherhood without also talking about the challenges it presents in professional spaces. 

For every celebration of moms in the workplace, there’s a narrative of struggle. Pay gaps. Lack of flexibility. Invisible penalties for choosing family over work. And it’s not just mothers who feel the strain. Caregivers of all kinds—fathers, “sandwich” employees caring for both kids and aging parents, or a child-free colleague who steps up for extended family members—are navigating a professional world that often isn’t built to support them.

This article is not only a tribute to the moms and caregivers among us but a call to action for creating workplaces where everyone, regardless of their caregiving role, feels valued and supported. Because at the end of the day, a #JOYFullWorkplace isn’t just good vibes. It’s a system of equity, inclusion, and trust.

The Unearned Struggles of Working Moms

Let’s start with the obvious. Employers have come a long way with family-friendly policies, but motherhood penalties stubbornly persist. Mothers are more likely than their male counterparts to face pay inequities, slower career growth, or judgments on their commitment to work.

For decades, working mothers have been subjected to the notorious “motherhood penalty.” Did you know that mothers in the U.S. still earn, on average, significantly less than their male counterparts? And that’s just one piece of the larger puzzle. There’s the unspoken bias about their commitment to work or their ability to “handle” demands. 

The same bias that leads many families, like mine, to make financial decisions based on systemic inequities. I chose to stay home when my son was born because my husband’s tech job paid significantly more than my teaching position. The math left us with little choice.

The result? Talented women stepping off the professional ladder altogether because the support doesn’t exist to keep them climbing. And workplaces lose not just individuals but everything they bring to the table.

Caregivers by Other Names

And what about the caregivers who don’t fit the traditional mold? 

The dad trading shifts so he can coach his daughter’s soccer team. The employee who spends evenings helping an aging parent manage bills and doctor’s visits. The colleague without kids, stepping in to care for siblings or extended family. Their stories are just as important, and yet these roles often go unnoticed because they don’t check society’s “caregiver” boxes.

When workplace benefits focus narrowly on one kind of caregiving, how do other employees feel? Left out? Overlooked? Resentful? These are real questions that demand real answers.

For small business CEOs, HR leaders, managers, and supervisors, Mother’s Day is the perfect time to reflect on how your workplace treats employees who are juggling caregiving roles while also creating equity for those who aren’t. 

Whether your team includes moms, dads, pet parents, sandwich employees caring for kids and older family members, or employees without caregiving duties, creating a truly #JOYFullWorkplace means being intentional about inclusion.

Here’s how we tackle the big questions about equity, inclusion, and what it truly means to build workplace joy for everyone.

The Equity Balancing Act

Here’s where things get complicated. Creating equity for some employees shouldn’t mean penalizing others. Remember my old daycare job? Employees with kids got free childcare, and employees without children didn’t receive any comparable benefit. Yet, no one seemed to mind because the solution made sense for the time.

But what about creating balance without alienating anyone? How do we ensure fairness without slipping into unintended discrimination? The answer lies in flexible, dynamic policies based on needs, not assumptions.

The Role of #JOYFullWorkplaces in Driving Inclusion

This is where the concept of #JOYFullWorkplaces shines. A #JOYFullWorkplace doesn’t take a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, it’s built on a foundation of active listening, inclusion, and trust. Supporting a team with diverse needs means recognizing the varied challenges employees face and meeting them where they are.

For those working while parenting, a #JOYFullWorkplace may look like access to childcare benefits, paid parental leave, or flexible schedules. For those not parenting, it could mean professional development opportunities, additional leave time for passion projects, or wellness stipends. 

The key isn’t matching benefits dollar for dollar; it’s ensuring everyone sees their value reflected in a way that feels personal and meaningful.

Actionable Strategies for Inclusivity

Small business leaders, you don’t need deep pockets to make a meaningful impact. Start by fostering inclusive policies that accommodate the full spectrum of caregiving roles while supporting employees who don’t fall into those categories. Need inspiration? Here’s a playbook to get you started.

1. Flexible Scheduling:  Life doesn’t stick to nine-to-five. Allowing employees to set work hours around their caregiving responsibilities (whether for kids, parents, or pets) shows you trust them to manage their time.  

2. Tailored Benefits:  Make benefits dynamic. Offer paid parental leave but also consider caregiver leave for those supporting elder family members. Include wellness programs that benefit all employees, not just parents.

3. Listening Is Non-Negotiable:  Want to know what your team needs? Ask them. Surveys, listening sessions, and 1-1 meetings help you identify opportunities to support your employees, whether or not they’re caregivers.

4. De-Stigma Work-Life Balance:  It’s time to normalize life outside of work. Employees shouldn’t feel like they’re sacrificing career growth if they take time to attend a kid’s recital or go with to a parent’s doctor appointment. DO NOT call, text or email them & expect them to reply when they are not at work. Unless it is a true emergency, it can wait. Not to mention, when you do that, it just stresses them out more. 

5. Celebrate All Contributions:  Mother’s Day & Father’s Day are great opportunities to celebrate parents on your team. But how about recognizing the weekend warriors, the child-free employees volunteering in the community, grandparents filling in the gaps or the sandwich employees juggling two generations of caregiving? Take a moment to celebrate everyone.

6. Fair Pay:  This one’s non-negotiable. Review pay structures to ensure gaps don’t exist based on gender, caregiving status, or role. A lack of pay equity is one of the most glaring ways to turn a workplace toxic. 

Building Toward True Inclusion

Workplace joy isn’t a perk. It’s the foundation of a thriving, balanced, and successful team. When every employee feels seen, respected, and supported, they bring their best selves to work every single day. That’s the beauty of #JOYFullWorkplaces—including (but not limited to) the moms, parents, partners, and caregivers who keep the world running.

This Mother’s Day, take time to acknowledge the mothers and parents juggling incredible responsibilities on your team. But also shout out the folks supporting foster kids, taking care of their niece full-time, or who show up every day without a caregiving role in the picture. True equity starts when value isn’t defined by someone’s circumstances but by the contributions they bring to the team.

Here’s to fostering workplaces where everyone thrives, no matter their role inside or outside of the office. This Mother’s Day, commit to creating a culture of equity, respect, and joy for all. Your employees (and your bottom line) will thank you.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the caregivers, advocates, and employees holding it down. Together, we can make the workplace a space where JOY is abundant and care is mutual.

Launch your #JOYFullWorkplace transformation today. Reach out to learn how!

Meet Janifer, a trailblazer in cultivating inclusive and thriving environments, both in education and business. With a robust background as a teacher and district-level Director of Continuous School Improvement, she partnered with the Texas Education Agency to elevate student success across diverse demographics. Janifer’s passion for creating supportive cultures led to the development of her Continuous Cultural Improvement™️ model, a transformative tool for small businesses to foster inclusivity, accessibility, and equity. Now, she leverages her expertise to offer professional learning and development services, helping businesses embrace diversity and drive impactful change. Janifer is committed to harnessing the power of learning as a catalyst for growth and success in every community she touches. Follow Us on LI: Wheelhouse Learning Solutions.

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