I have been mostly silent on my blog for the past 9 months. This is because I lost my job in July and have been ashamed about it. I have also not wanted to continually talk about how I am still looking for work to this day. I believe one of the reasons I lost my job and can’t find a new one is I am a mother. Also, I am not only a mother, but a mother of young children. There is a bias against mothers in the workforce.

I have a Masters Degree and 10+ years experience in my field of fundraising for nonprofits, yet I keep getting passed up for “more qualified” candidates after I speak candidly about being a mother to a 1 and 4 year old. Of course, it is also a very competitive market right now. There are limited jobs available, and lots of people have been laid off. I have been on 7 final interviews and not been chosen though, and I am getting skeptical of the reasons why.

In addition, I lost my job after comments were made to me about whether I could handle working full time and caring for my child full time. I was told they were already making plenty accommodations for my postpartum issues, and what more did I want when I asked simply to not be bullied. I was told that my team, which included me and another mother, were not allowed to use the half day Fridays to care for our kids, because that was reserved for the teams (of single women) who worked over 40 hours a week. We were told we could prorate our pay if we wanted to work less hours to care for our kids, even though we were completing all of our work.

I faced bias when interviewing while pregnant and got passed up over and over again once they found out and then the job that hired me and offered me paid maternity leave, then used my postpartum depression and childcare struggles as a reason to let me go. Now, I am out here trying to get another job and finding similar biases to me looking for work with two young kids (who are now in full time childcare).

People are missing out though on all the amazing mothers out there trying to stay in the workforce or return to the workforce. Mothers have so much to offer workplaces. More workplaces should want to hire mothers. I recently watched a video on Instagram that said when hiring, mothers are at the bottom of the totem pole then single women, then single men, then fathers. Fathers are revered in the workforce, but not mothers. Mothers are seen as the default parent when kids are sick or need care, so they are seen as unreliable in the workforce. They can’t work overtime. They can’t start early or work late. They oftentimes can’t go out for after work drinks with the team. They miss more work due to kid’s being sick. They are pulled in many directions.

I feel like mothers can also be a great asset to workplaces. Mother’s now how to manage multiple needs at once, keep everyone happy, and provide the best service to all customers. Mother’s know how to get 40 hours of work done in 20 hours. They are super efficient with their time, because they get little time to themselves to complete household tasks and meet their own needs. They are resilient, pushing themselves 110% while sick, sleep deprived, and overstimulated to be there for their kids and family. They won’t call out for some sniffles.

Mother’s are usually the one’s in the family managing the finances, the schedule, and the activities. They have to be organized. They must keep track of not only their schedule, but every kid and their husband’s schedule. They would be a great Executive Assistant, Program Manager, Operating Manager, etc. They can manage everyone’s calendars and meet all deadlines. They also manage the finances for the household, making sure there is enough money to support everyone’s needs. That translates to a great Finance Director, managing the organization’s budget.

Mother’s are empathetic leaders. They understand that everyone has bad days and that everyone makes mistakes. They give feedback with care and coach their staff to succeed just like they do for their kids. They also support staff that have families. Everyone needs a mother as a leader, who truly cares when you get sick, and encourages you to rest when you are burnt out. Mother’s will boost everyone’s spirits.

So instead of penalizing women who want to have children and work, encourage their dreams. Invest in mothers. Mothers are great employees. There should be a place for everyone in the workplace. The young ambitious recent college grad who has tons of time to work long hours and go networking several nights a week should be just as valuable as the organized mother who is great at time management and cheering on the team. We lose a lot of value when we value only those who can fit into the box of “perfect” employees. Workplaces benefit when there are multiple perspectives and working styles. Mothers have a lot to contribute and should be valued for what they can bring to the workplace.