Work-Life Integration: Creating Supportive Workplaces for Parents

Chief Diversity Officer and author Mita Mallick gets candid about the myths and biases holding back working parents in today’s workplaces. Drawing from her bestselling book “Reimagine” and years of leadership experience, Mita debunks the notion that extended maternity leave alone supports women, emphasizing the need to transform mindsets around involved fatherhood too. She shares powerful stories navigating the “motherhood penalty” in her own career after having children, from being asked “who’s watching your kids?” to having her performance rating docked while on parental leave. Mita calls out the importance of proactive management training to interrupt biases and advocates for true paid parental leave, not just maternity policies. This engaging conversation covers making workplaces more inclusive for the “sandwich generation,” the power of employee resource groups, and Mita’s empowering advice for working mothers. Her insights illuminate the path toward integrating, not
balancing, work and life.