Survey: Fatherhood Helps 64% of Men's Careers, Motherhood Worries 42% of Women

Fatherhood as a Career Accelerator, Motherhood as a Perceived Risk

Ahead of Brazil’s Father’s Day, a new survey from job platform Infojobs exposes a striking imbalance: parenthood pushes men’s careers forward while it casts a shadow over women’s professional trajectories. Among men who are fathers, 64.47% reported that having children had a positive impact on their careers, citing greater focus, productivity and responsibility. Only 9.36% saw a negative effect. Among non-fathers, 37.24% expect no impact and 46.09% anticipate a boost.

For women, the picture is starkly different. The same research found that 42% of female professionals fear that motherhood will cost them career opportunities inside companies. The data was collected by Infojobs, part of Redarbor Group, the largest employment group in Latin America and the second-largest globally.

Patricia Suzuki, HR director of Redarbor Brazil, pointed out that the contrast goes deeper than the logistics of raising children. “It’s not just about the effects of having kids; it’s about the biases that determine how each professional is seen after that experience,” she said. Companies aiming for equity, she argued, must scrutinize not only formal policies but also the subjective criteria that influence hiring, promotion and performance reviews.

Why Parenthood Rewards Men and Penalizes Women at Work

Decoding the Survey’s Stark Gender Contrast

The gap is not about objective performance differences—it is about perception. When 64% of men feel their careers benefit from fatherhood, the workplace is treating the same life event as a mark of maturity and drive. Yet when 42% of women fear motherhood will hurt their careers, it signals that employers often view mothers as less committed or available. This imbalance is a cultural pattern, not an individual issue, and it directly shapes talent pipelines, pay trajectories and leadership representation.

Patricia Suzuki’s Perspective on Subjective Bias

Suzuki stressed that benefits alone cannot fix a cultural problem. “Offering benefits is important, but it won’t solve inequality built into the organizational culture. You need to assess whether mothers and fathers receive the same opportunities, are judged by the same criteria, and find real conditions to combine work and family.” She added that when motherhood is seen as a risk and fatherhood as a sign of maturity, the company reinforces the very difference it should tackle.

The Practical Fallout for Companies and Talent

If the survey reflects broader sentiment, companies risk losing high-performing women who sense a motherhood penalty—42% already anticipate a hit. At the same time, men may be under-supported in caregiving roles, missing out on the shared responsibility that Suzuki argues is essential for equity. The divide also threatens employer branding: a firm perceived as punishing mothers will struggle to attract and retain top female talent, especially in a competitive labor market.

How Employers Can Address the Parenthood Penalty Revealed by the Infojobs Data

For Employers and HR Leaders

• Audit promotion and hiring criteria for hidden assumptions about parental commitment. As Suzuki warns, subjective decision-making often penalizes mothers while rewarding fathers—review how “readiness” or “availability” is measured.
• Normalize parental leave for men and track uptake. When men adjust routines and care for children openly, the idea that only women’s careers are affected by family starts to fade, a point Suzuki underscored as fundamental to equity.
• Use internal data to match the survey’s insights. The Infojobs finding that 42% of women fear lost opportunities is a benchmark. Measure your own employees’ experiences of parenthood impact through anonymous surveys and act on gaps.