The Power of Partners

3 ways partners can support their counterparts in achieving work-life integration

We are pleased to present the results of our most recent report, The Power of Partners. This
research explores the impact of partnerships on parents’ ability to not only integrate work and home life but also be productive and feel confident in their careers. 

At The Mom Project and Werklabs, we also know that many moms come to our platform as
single moms, in need of more supportive, flexible work opportunities, so that they may be able to better provide for their families. For these moms, we know that instead of support coming from a spouse or partner, it often comes from friends, community members, and family. The need to be strong and resilient while striving to be role models to their children is a daily reality for single moms, and it is our plan to highlight the unique experiences of these moms in future research. 

Similarly, it is also important to acknowledge that this research primarily explores the impact
of partners in heterosexual relationships. We know that differences exist in the experiences of parents with same-sex partners and it is not our goal to ignore these nuances. As with single moms, this is another intended area of future research.

More specifically, then, the present research explores the scope of parenting in mom-dad
relationships, to determine what factors and forms of support from a partner have the greatest impact on parents being able to successfully integrate work and home life. 

We surveyed more than 3500 moms and dads and asked them to rate their experiences
with their partners providing support on a variety of dimensions. Our ultimate goal has been
to understand the specific support factors from partners that most contribute to parents
being able to best integrate home and work. In the end, we develop a framework for parents
and organizations to utilize, to facilitate more positive home experiences that impact work
performance.

With the present research we show that when parents feel empowered and supported in their personal lives, navigating the ever-changing and unexpected realities of parenthood, their professional lives reap the benefits. In the report that follows we not only share these findings, but also highlight recommendations to moms, dads, and organizations.

Sincerely,
Pam Cohen, PhD
Chief Research & Analytics Officer
Werklabs & The Mom Project