I quit my last role as CMO of a startup because my former boss accused me of losing focus after I missed a few team calls. Why? Because my son had emergency room visits and doctor’s appointments.

That wasn’t the first time I was blamed for being a responsible mother - and it wasn’t the first time I encountered workplace discrimination for it.

The Reality of Being a Working Parent

Being a working mom isn’t just juggling two full-time jobs - it’s living in a world that expects you to work like you don’t have kids and parent like you don’t have a job.

My day starts at 3:30 AM. Not because I love waking up before the sun, but because it’s the only way I can have a somewhat normal life - one where I can:

  • Have breakfast without checking emails at the same time.
  • Do the school run without feeling guilty.
  • Make homemade meals instead of relying on takeout.
  • Actually spend time with my child instead of squeezing in moments between meetings.
  • And, of course, still work at a high level in a demanding role.

So when my boss told me I had lost focus, my immediate reaction was: This isn’t the place I want to work, and he isn’t the boss I want to work for.

It took me exactly two seconds to make up my mind.

Boss, you’re fired.

(And yes, I did say it in my head with Donald Trump’s famous Apprentice voice.)

The Numbers Don’t Lie: Working Parents Are Struggling

I’m not alone in this. Millions of working parents - especially mothers - face the same struggles every day.

  • 43% of highly qualified women leave their jobs after having children, often due to a lack of workplace support. (Harvard Business Review)
  • Over 70% of working parents say they have experienced career penalties for prioritizing their families. (McKinsey & Company)
  • One in three mothers has considered downshifting their careers or leaving the workforce entirely due to burnout. (Lean In & McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace Report)
  • Fathers who take paternity leave are still stigmatized, with many fearing it will hurt their career progression.

The message is clear: The modern workplace is still failing parents.

The Companies Getting It Right

But not all companies are stuck in the past. Some are leading the way in supporting working parents - and proving that flexibility and success can go hand in hand.

  • Salesforce: Offers generous parental leave, backup childcare, and flexible work arrangements.
  • Microsoft: Provides 20 weeks of paid parental leave and strong support for parents returning to work.
  • Spotify: Gives six months of fully paid parental leave and encourages employees to take it.
  • Patagonia: Runs on-site childcare centers and has a 94% retention rate for mothers.
  • PwC: Offers "returnship" programs to help parents re-enter the workforce after a career break.

These companies understand that supporting parents isn’t a perk - it’s a necessity.

Do I Regret Quitting?

Yes.

I regret not quitting sooner.

But one good thing came out of it: It inspired me to write this post.

Because if you’re a working parent struggling to keep up, feeling guilty for missing a meeting, or being made to feel like you’re less valuable because you have a family - you are not alone.

And if you’re in a workplace that doesn’t respect your reality, maybe it’s time to say:

Boss, you’re fired.