It?s no secret that working during the pandemic has, for many people, sucked?especially mothers.
Allison Venditti is trying to make things a little better with the launch of a new job board aimed specifically at moms. Venditti?s pro-mom organization, called Moms at Work, launched the job board in January with the goal of helping mothers get back into the workplace after the shocking effects of the pandemic-driven ?she-cession.?
The pandemic deepened fissures that already existed for women in the workplace, as Canada?s budget report for 2021 revealed that more than 16,000 women had left the labour force completely, while the male labour force had grown by 91,000. Women were particularly affected because of their disproportionate presence in the care economy, a sector that was hit especially hard during the pandemic. School and childcare closures drove many women back into the home, while others were simply let go from their jobs. More than 1,000 members of Moms at Work alone found themselves seeking employment, according to Venditti. As mothers seek to rejoin the workforce, they’re running into challenges that are sadly familiar from before the pandemic. ?The issues around work?which are lack of flexibility, the need to be on-site, the lack of understanding, lack of paid leave, lack of sick leave?are all really carryovers from like the 1950s when you were supposed to have a full-time spouse at home,? says Venditti. ?That just doesn’t exist anymore, and the care e...