The corporate ideals driving ‘secret parenting’
BBCThe corporate ideals driving ‘secret parenting’ Alamy Many parents downplay caring responsibilities at work to show commitment. Research shows that some women hide their pregnancies, especially in roles in which they feel they have to compete with men and don’t want to reveal anything that might “get in the way” of work. When Kanji interviewed women who had left high-profile careers, many gave examples of secret parenting, including taking sick days to avoid telling colleagues their children were ill. Women needing time off to care for children served as a “particularly unwelcome reminder that employees care about their children and by implication not enough about the organisation”, her 2013 study showed. Until policies recognise this, bosses set examples and work cultures change their perception of the “ideal worker”, aspects of parenting will likely remain secretive, even if children keep interrupting video calls.
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