Across industries, companies are doubling down on return-to-office mandates, framing them as essential for productivity and fostering a positive culture. The message is clear: get behind the return, or get left behind.
But this stance comes at a cost, especially for working parents, and mothers in particular. As childcare costs soar and flexibility erodes, participation of mothers with young children in the workforce has dropped nearly every month this year.
The responsibilities parents carry are heavier than ever. A growing number of mothers fall into the “sandwich generation,” simultaneously caring for children and aging parents. More than half of these women have left their jobs under the weight of these tasks, with two-thirds citing inadequate employer support.
I see the impact from two sides. I am a mom of two young kids, and also an executive leader at Owlet Baby Care, where nearly 70% of our employees are working parents. At Owlet, we believe raising a child is one of the most important responsibilities. We ground everything we do in the real experiences of families, then turn those insights into innovations that make a genuine difference in their lives. I’ve seen firsthand how flexible workplace policies that give workers agency over their schedules not only sustain families but strengthen culture, retention, and long-term business health.
I’m here to tell you, as both a parent and executive leader, RTO mandates are just corporate helicopter parenting. Companies clinging to this outdated model risk losing their best talent, hurting families of working parents, and ultimately harming their bottom line.
Helicopter parenting doesn’t work at home — or in the office
Helicopter parenting is rooted in control. It hovers, monitors, and second-guesses every move a child makes, all in the name of wanting the “best” for them. But it rarely works. Instead of raising confident, independent kids, it produces burnout, anxiety, and dependence.
Corporate “helicopter managing” works the same way. RTO mandates send the message that employees can’t be trusted unless they’re under constant supervision. Rather than unlocking potential, this approach stifles initiative, fuels frustration, and drives out talent. Leaders think they’re protecting culture and productivity, but are actually undermining both.
Why flexibility works
The opposite of helicopter parenting is trust. The best nurturing comes from giving kids space to grow and learn. The same is true for employees. When companies trust people to manage their own time and responsibilities, they build more resilient teams.
At Owlet, flexibility is built into our culture. We offer year-round remote work and a largely flexible schedule to our entire employee base, more than half of whom are mothers. The result is stronger satisfaction, higher retention, and deeper engagement.
When our company faced one of its most difficult financial chapters a few years ago, we asked employees to take a temporary pay cut that lasted more than a year. It was a daunting request, but because flexibility and trust had been woven into our culture long before that moment, people stayed. They believed in our mission and trusted that leadership was making decisions with their best interests in mind. Instead of an exodus, we saw the majority of our team choose to weather the storm with us. That trust and mutual commitment helped us survive a challenging period and ultimately emerge stronger.
This trust-based approach and parent-friendly culture also attracts top talent. A recent candidate told me she noticed that every woman she interviewed with on our executive team was also a mother. Working parents want to see leaders who understand the realities they face, and talented workers will gravitate towards places where those perspectives shape the culture.
How employers can do better
Just as children thrive in environments where they are trusted to stretch and stumble, employees excel when given room to balance their lives without penalty. True support for working parents means more than permitting remote work. It means embedding caregiving and flexibility into the culture as a normal, valued part of life.
At Owlet, our benefits reflect this philosophy. For example, we offer paid parental leave for both the birth parent and nonbirth parent, and a benefits plan that covers up to $10,000 in fertility treatments (only 40% of U.S. companies actually provide fertility benefits). These policies are not extras. Above all, we offer a flexible work-from-anywhere policy, going on over five years now. As our employees have flourished, the work and results have followed.
If companies want to retain top talent, foster real culture, and grow the next generation of leaders, they must trade control for trust. Stop forcing parents to choose between their careers and their families, and instead empower them to succeed on both fronts.
You want to see your business and workforce thrive? Resist the urge to rein them in. Trust your people, and watch them (and your profits) soar.
Politics8 years ago