Schedule Flexibility—Not Remote Work—Is the Top Retention Driver for Working Mothers

HR Dive · United States · Sep 2, 2026

A peer-reviewed study led by Sacred Heart University found that schedule flexibility accounts for nearly 30% of the variance in whether mothers remain employed full-time after having a child, while location flexibility ranked near the bottom at under 6%. Critically, mothers who both needed and used flexible scheduling were significantly more likely to stay—suggesting the issue is cultural as much as policy-based. For staffing agencies and employers competing for working-parent talent, the research underscores that offering flexible hours with visible leadership support matters more than remote-work options alone.