True: Being a mother is one of the best jobs in the world. Also true: Trying to balance your career on top of your demands as a mother can be extremely challenging. Many women want to continue to meet their professional goals—but what they valued before becoming a mom isn’t what they prioritize now. It can be scary—if not jarring—to experience such a significant identity shift in your career, but remember: you’re not alone. And more and more companies are becoming more aligned with the needs of working parents. These organizations offer a comprehensive range of support—from parental maternity leave, on-site childcare and improved healthcare coverage to fertility benefits and more. .
By focusing on family-friendly practices and policies, these companies stand out as employers for the best jobs for moms seeking a successful career while being a mother, providing a sense of security and care.
The government offers mothers some protections. Under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), most covered employers are required to give you up to 12 weeks off for childbirth, adoption or foster care. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) mandates that covered employers have to provide “reasonable accommodations” for pregnancy and childbirth. The PUMP Act also ensures that most employers provide reasonable break times and private spaces for breastfeeding or pumping. But these companies go above and beyond to retain top talent and be supportive of mothers. They offer services that you might not even think you need as you return to work.
We all know everything changes when you become a mom—and not just your body and your capacity to love. You also need more out of your employer and may not have the same patience for not-so-stellar benefits. After all, what mattered to you before becoming a parent, or trying to conceive, isn’t what ranks highest now. When looking for the best jobs for moms, there are some important factors to keep in mind during your search.
Here are the best jobs for moms that provide a supportive work environment for mothers.
- Microsoft
- Johnson & Johnson
- Netflix
- Deloitte
- Salesforce
- Etsy
Though a 30-minute commute might not have been a big deal before you became a mom, now that time with your baby is precious and limited, remote work suddenly becomes high on your wishlist of benefits. If you’re in the computer science industry, it’s worth looking into open opportunities at Microsoft, which often ranks high for the best jobs for moms. Microsoft is committed to offering flexible work schedules and support for working parents—and that’s clear through their policies.
Microsoft offers up to 20 paid weeks for birth mothers and up to six weeks for fathers. (While, yes, the non-birthing parent should receive more, considering some companies don’t offer any leave, six weeks is super beneficial.) The organization also provides adoption leave for mothers up to 12 weeks and up to six weeks for fathers. This extended leave policy allows you to focus on valuable time with your baby without worrying about the imminent return to work.
Once you’re back to work, Microsoft reimburses up to 160 hours of childcare expenses each year—which adds up to about a month of full-time childcare. Additionally, Microsoft partners with Bright Horizons to offer discounted child care and backup care, ensuring parents have reliable support even in cases of emergency or closures.
Along with other healthcare benefits, Microsoft covers expenses for three in vitro fertilization treatment (IVF) cycles, genetic testing and egg/embryo freezing for up to two years. This coverage is available for employees who’ve been with the company for at least one year.
Best Jobs For Mom at Microsoft: Benefits At a Glance
- Parental Leave Policy: Up to 20 weeks for childbirth and up to 12 weeks for adoption
- Childcare Benefits: 160 hours of childcare expenses are reimbursed
- Flexible Work Options: Remote options
- Healthcare/Fertility Benefits: Covers expenses related to to IVF, genetic testing and egg/embryo freezing
- Apply for open opportunities at Microsoft here.
Moms know it for their wide-range of baby products— but Johnson & Johnson is also dedicated to helping moms continue to excel in their careers during pregnancy, postpartum and motherhood. Their policies make it easier for mothers to have the work life balance and integration they need to feel fulfilled at home and in their professional endeavors.
Mothers receive 18 weeks of paid maternity leave and fathers have 12 weeks upon birth of a child or via adoption. This leave policy allows parents to spend time with their newborns and adjust to a new schedule without work interfering. A unique benefit is that the weeks do not have to be taken consecutively, just within the first year of the child’s life. This allows non-birthing partners to split up their leave so they can help ease the transition when the birthing partner returns to work.
Johnson & Johnson provide contributions for childcare support and have five childcare centers on company campuses. These centers can take in any kid from infancy to kindergarten at a subsidized cost. These campuses, located in several cities including Boston, San Francisco and London, provide high quality childcare close to work, making it a convenient and safe choice for mothers. Not to mention, cutting down on your commute time and giving you back meaningful hours with your child.
Another benefit worth mentioning is on-site occupational health services and mental health resources. This allows you to seek professional help for postpartum depression, anxiety or rage, all without having to find an in-network provider in your insurance. This dedication to maternal mental health is rare—and a unique way to make this pivotal transition easier.
Johnson & Johnson also ranks high as the best jobs for moms—before a woman even sees a positive pregnancy test. They provide financial assistance with IVF treatments, adoption and surrogacy for couples in the United States. This can help ease stress many families face as they build their families.
For moms who have to travel for business, Johnson & Johnson has a unique delivery service that allows mothers to ship breast milk home in a temperature-controlled box that’s pre-cleared for customs at no cost. This thoughtful perk removes some of the anxiety and burden nursing mothers carry when they want to continue their breastfeeding goals but travel to meet clients or teams. breast milk even when their moms are away.
Johnson & Johnson goes above and beyond as one of the best jobs for moms.
Best Jobs For Mom at Johnson & Johnson: Benefits At a Glance
- Parental Leave Policy: Up to 18 weeks
- Childcare Benefits: Subsidized costs and on campus childcare centers
- Flexible Work Options: Leave can be taken in increments
- Healthcare/Fertility Benefits: Provides financial assistance related to IVF treatments, adoption and surrogacy. Offers mental health resources and a free breast milk shipping service.
- Apply for open opportunities at Johnson & Johnson here.
Gone are the days when Netflix was about—ahem—chilling. These days, as a mom, it’s a necessity to your sanity. Watching Cocomelon on repeat with your toddler or streaming comfort TV shows (hello, Gilmore Girls!) while you’re nursing is a familiar scene for many mothers. Netflix also happens to be one of the best jobs for moms, since they understand the needs and wants of parents and offer several benefits to meet them.
Netflix’s parental leave policy is straightforward—and pretty incredible. As they put it, “take care of your baby and yourself.” Both mothers and fathers receive a year of paid leave. And,they can take their leave continuously or in installments. They can also choose between coming back full-time, part-time or intermittently. This allows parents to spend quality time with their newborn and cater their schedule to their needs. Each pregnancy, delivery and postpartum period is different, and having this remarkable level of flexibility gives families the room to grow and connect before having to return to the workforce right away.
Netflix covers up to 15 days of childcare or backup care—which can be huge when your daycare center unexpectedly has a teacher workday or your nanny is out sick
Netflix offers a global family forming benefit to support whatever your journey to becoming a family requires. This benefit can assist in fertility, surrogacy or adoption. The company offers an allowance through Carrot to ease any financial burden.
Beyond the physical needs of postpartum recovery, Netflix stands out as part of the best jobs for mom since they offer free counseling and mental health support. Whether it’s postpartum anxiety, depression or just the general stress and identity-shift of dealing with a newborn, all employees have access to professional help, at no cost.
If you return to the office after becoming a parent, it’s helpful to know many Netflix locations have a Mother’s Room for breastfeeding needs. This provides a comfortable and private space for mothers to pump and store their breast milk, allowing them to maintain their supply.
Best Jobs For Mom at Netflix: Benefits At a Glance
- Parental Leave Policy: Up to a year for both parents
- Childcare Benefits: Covers up to 15 days of childcare or backup care
- Flexible Work Options: Leave can be taken in installments
- Healthcare/Fertility Benefits: Offers free mental health services, Mother’s Rooms for breastfeeding and fertility benefits through Carrot
Apply for open opportunities at Netflix here.
We can’t even describe how important Google is for moms. Whether it’s the late-night sleep-deprived search of “My baby’s been crying for two hours, is that normal?” or the desperate search of “Why won’t my baby latch?” Google is the answer to all of those “Is this normal?” moments. What would we do without it? As important as mothers find Google, the company also values their employees, who are parents, making them some of the best jobs for moms.
Google recently increased its paid family leave to 18 to 24 weeks off for birthing parents. This open period depends on the circumstances of each family. Additionally, as you attempt to make the difficult return to work, Google offers you three months of remote work once your leave period ends. This allows you to spend uninterrupted time with your baby and still be there once you go back to work — just a room away from your computer!
Once you get back to work, Google is there to help with childcare. For almost a decade, the company has worked with Care to provide workers in the United States and six other countries with ten financed days of in-home or in-center child care annually. Google also ensures that every office has a Mother Room for breastfeeding needs. Employees also have access to parent support groups and “child-bonding bucks,” which help with the costs of diapers or baby formula while parents are on leave.
Google also recently expanded its medical plans to include four rounds of IVF, egg freezing up to $75,000 per employee and coverage for pregnancy-related conditions like an ectopic pregnancy, retained placenta, postpartum hemorrhage or miscarriage that requires surgical treatment.
Best Jobs For Mom at Google: Benefits At a Glance
- Parental Leave Policy: 18 to 24 weeks
- Childcare Benefits: Partners with Care to provide ten financed days of in-home or in-center child care each year
- Flexible Work Options: Offers three months of remote work once your leave ends
- Healthcare/Fertility Benefits: Offers coverage for IVF, egg freezing and pregnancy complications. Each office has Mother’s Rooms for breastfeeding.
- Apply for open opportunities at Google here.
As one of the fastest-growing companies, you’ve definitely heard of Salesforce before if you’re in a client services role. And though ‘sales’ doesn’t exactly automatically make you think of an ideal working environment for parents, Salesforce truly goes above and beyond to not only lift up the birthing partner—but to ensure they have a support team around them.
Salesforce encourages all parents to take paid parental leave— offering 26 weeks for the primary caregiver/birthing person and 12 weeks for the parent who plays a supporting role. This paid leave policy is one of the longest in their industry and ensures parents have ample amount of time to adjust to a newborn.
After this lengthy period has come to a close, Salesforce offers a gradual return-to-work schedule. This allows parents to choose a four day work week to make the transition back to the office easier. Childcare is also available through CONCERN that provides support for the child in several ways. Through arts, sports or academic programs, CONCERN helps your child all the way up to their high school graduation.
Salesforce understands not all families are created the same way, adoption and surrogacy support is provided . This includes reduced cost access to fertility specialists through Progyny Fertility Support and healthcare coverage for three cycles of egg freezing or frozen-embryo transfer.
A unique pregnancy benefit making Salesforce one of the best jobs for moms is their doula coverage. As an organization, they will reimburse up to $2,000 for birth and postpartum doulas. For first-time parents who have a million questions throughout their pregnancy and need additional support during labor, delivery and recovery, a doula can be a game-changer during the life-altering transition into parenthood.
Salesforce also ships breastmilk back home for nursing mothers who travel for business. This policy ensures mothers can maintain their supply and not stress about navigating TSA to bring breast milk back to their child.
Best Jobs For Mom at Salesforce: Benefits At a Glance
- Parental Leave Policy: Up to 26 weeks for the primary caregiver
- Childcare Benefits: Assistance through CONCERN
- Flexible Work Options: Gradual return to work schedule
- Healthcare/Fertility Benefits: Doula, egg freezing and frozen-embryo transfer, coverage and assistance is provided.
Apply for open opportunities at Salesforce here.
Raise your hand if you’ve spent way too much time—and money—on Etsy. From personalized nursery signs to Instagram-worthy take-home outfits, Etsy supports artisans, small businesses—and parents. Etsy provides 26 weeks of fully paid leave for employees who become parents through childbirth or adoption. This policy includes everybody, regardless of gender, country of residence or family circumstance.
Since the road to building a family isn’t always straightforward and can be very expensive, Etsy also provides support for employees seeking to build their family through surrogacy or adoption. They will reimburse up to $7,500 per child, easing the financial strain that can take a toll on families trying to grow. All Etsy employees also get up to $4,000 backup childcare credits and a $1,000 stipend.
Their company has an established return-to-work program through Moms at Work. Here, mothers can gain community support, take courses relating to their career, network and receive career counseling.
All of Etsy’s offices are equipped with Parents Rooms, which provide a safe and comfortable place for moms who need to nurse.
Best Jobs For Mom at Etsy: Benefits At a Glance
- Parental Leave Policy: Up to a 26 weeks for parents
- Childcare Benefits: $4,000 backup childcare credits and a $1,000 stipend
- Flexible Work Options: Moms at Work return-to-work programs
- Healthcare/Fertility Benefits: Reimburses up to $7,500 for families growing through surrogacy or adoption
Apply for open opportunities at Etsy here.
Balancing your career and the demands of motherhood is hard, but it doesn’t have to be impossible. These companies really understand the needs of parents and it shows through their policies. Whether you’re already a mother or looking for a job that will prioritize your future goals of being a parent, these companies provide some of the best jobs for moms. Make sure you prioritize researching companies policies and benefits as you job search and don’t forget to read more tips on The Mother Chapter about how to return to work after maternity leave, time management advice and how to balance work and life.
Author
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Esha Minhas is a third-year student at Northeastern University studying Journalism and Political Science. She's currently the editorial and social intern for Mila & Jo Media. Esha is also the Deputy Sports Editor for The Huntington News and covers Northeastern men's hockey. When she's not busy with work or school, you can find her at the gym, baking for her friends and family and watching anything sports related.
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