Since the onset of the pandemic, the U.S. has witnessed an exodus of women from the labor force. Mothers are at the center of this economic crisis, or as it’s been termed, the “she-cession.” In 2020, according to the National Women’s Law Center, the unemployment rate for mothers more than doubled from the previous year, rising from 3.5% in 2019 to 7.5% in 2020. For women of color, these increases were even more stark.
Although employment figures have increased this year as the COVID-19 vaccination rates increase and the infection rates decrease, the latest jobs report came in far below the forecasted figures. The numbers paint a picture of the impossible situation women across the country have been facing for close to a year and a half, carrying out full-time jobs while also taking care of their families full-time.

Human Design
“The lines between work life and home life have never been blurrier,” says Kimberly Brandt, senior strategist at Human Design. “This puts a tremendous amount of pressure on families and has caused women to exit the workforce en masse.” For those who have been able to strike that balance, it has been the prototypically feminine qualities within their places of work that made it possible: empathy, vulnerability, understanding and compassion. “As a society, we’ve spent generations embracing and celebrating masculine traits—assertiveness, confidence, competitiveness,” says Brandt. “Maybe it’s time to start embracing feminine traits.”
This month, we’re sharing the experiences of women in the Amp community: their struggles, their strategies for getting by, and their insights on how the industry needs to change to better support women.
On getting by

AMP Agency
Andie Tilden Jewett, VP of Business Development, AMP Agency
“My first son was born at the end of February, and the world turned sideways only a few weeks later. When I returned to work, I felt severe pressure to find ways to immediately provide value to my team and company. I felt any free moment between meetings should be spent with my son, and every moment the baby was sleeping should be spent working. It’s taken many months, but I have invested time in establishing rules for myself. It’s territory I never thought I would have to navigate, but ultimately has made me a better mom and employee.”


Barkley
Sara Buck, EVP/Partner Experience, Barkley
“As a working mom of two school-aged kids, we quickly realized how much we had depended on the physical boundaries of the school buildings and the office building to create space for us to work. Once I was able to carve out physical space for work with a door I could close, I was able to balance my mom time and my work time.”

Night After Night
Rebecca Lysen, Group Creative Director, Night After Night
“There really is no possible way to find true balance when you are a working mama. Every moment at work you feel guilty for not being with your child, and while with your child you are thinking about something you could be doing for work. Mix in the pandemic and all of a sudden you are working 100% of the time and mom-ing 100% of the time. Every day is just figuring out a way to make it work.”

Night After Night
Shannon Engel, General Manager, Night After Night
“When we first went fully WFH and my two children were also home full-time, I quickly realized I would need to figure out a plan to provide some routine for us all. I started making lists of activities for my kids so they had something to check off while I focused on work. The lists can only last so long, so I just had to find new ways to tackle each day, one day at a time.”

VOLTAGE
Laura Steele, Director, Business Operations, VOLTAGE
“Personally, I was very concerned about my 82-year-old mother, who though independent and fit, was alone for nine months. I was able to quarantine in the fall and spend a month with her afterward, while working remotely.”

Jack Morton
Shelley Elkins, Chief Creative Officer, Jack Morton
“Balance is not a thing. I’m not a working mom. I am a mom, fully, and I am a CCO, fully. You never hear, ‘He’s a working dad.’ We need to change our terminology and how we think about moms who work. It will help us better support them to fulfill all roles versus the balancing act.”

XDS
Amy Merenlender, Director, Digital Production, The Experience Design Studio (XDS)
“I had my second baby during lockdown and began working three and a half months after my son was born. I was lucky enough to have a part-time babysitter, but there was never a time I could completely shut off being a mother or shut off my working self. I would find myself leading conference calls while changing diapers, potty training, feeding and everything in between.”


3Headed Monster
Ashley Parker, Head of Client Services, 3Headed Monster
“When the pandemic hit, I’d just become pregnant, lost childcare for my toddler, work exploded and my husband (an employment attorney) was busier than ever. Any time of day became a good time to work on a presentation. My son’s naptime became my go-to conference call window. Toddler meal prep and entertainment was peppered somewhere in-between.”

Movement Strategy
Dhanuj Selvaraj, Senior Data Strategist, Movement Strategy
“As a working mother, the pandemic has been a challenge that I am continuing to work through every day. It takes a lot of planning and preparing to keep an active toddler occupied for 8-10 hours a day. I plan every hour of my and my daughter's day the night before. One year in now, we are a well-oiled machine. Some days are more difficult than others.”

Laundry Service
Shayna Cohen, VP, Client Services, Laundry Service
“Over time, I realized that taking a walk or scheduling ‘busy’ time on my calendar for lunch with my daughter wasn't selfish; it's necessary. Women feel the need to do it all and do it well. If we're succeeding in one area, we feel like we're failing in another. It became vital to remember that doing it all is not the same as doing it all at the exact same time.”

MullenLowe NY
Suzanne Barbosa, VP, Account Director, MullenLowe New York
“I have learned to actively recognize and respect my priorities knowing it will not look the same each day. Some days I am more of a mom, some days I’m more of a business leader, or a wife or a sister. Instead of fearing this fluidity, I have learned to embrace it.”

Dagger
Carla Guy, Chief Strategy Officer, Dagger
“I didn't realize how precariously I'd been juggling the roles of executive, wife and mother. When the pandemic hit, I was crushed by the weight of it all. Feelings of inadequacy overwhelmed me. Life has since returned to a more normal rhythm, but I’m still processing the shame the pandemic surfaced relative to who I want to be.”