The Real Cost of Parental Leave with Beth Wanner, CEO of Mother Cover
One-third of women leave their jobs within 18 months of returning from parental leave.
And contrary to popular belief, most aren’t choosing to step back — they’re leaving because their workplace experience failed them at a pivotal moment.
This week, our founder, Beth Wanner, joined Dr. Kiyah Duffey on The Weekly Parent to talk about why parental leave remains one of the most misunderstood — and high-impact — moments in an employee’s entire career. We explored the emotional, operational, and financial consequences of getting leave wrong, and the new model Mother Cover is bringing to organizations across North America.
The episode covers:
Why so many women feel pushed out after returning from leave
How poor transitions, workload mismanagement, and unclear expectations fuel burnout
The hidden business costs: turnover, lost clients, stalled projects
Why structured coverage + phased re-onboarding is the new gold standard
Beth’s own story of IVF, pregnancy discrimination, and being fired at eight months pregnant
What’s possible when companies design leave with humanity and strategy
🎧 Listen here or watch below: The Real Cost of Parental Leave with Beth Wanner, Founder of Mother Cover
If your organization is preparing for an upcoming leave, planning for 2026, or looking to strengthen retention, Mother Cover can help you build a leave experience that protects both people and performance.
At Mother Cover, we help companies build leave programs that actually work—from sourcing interim and fractional backfill talent to guiding leaders through transitions with confidence. Because parental leave doesn’t need to be a career or team setback.
🌱 Temporary leave. Not permanent setbacks.
→ Need support for an upcoming leave? Let’s talk.
