Every day, many women face this seemingly trivial choice, but one laden with significance. It seems simple, yet beneath this question lie years of micro-decisions that shape careers, exhaust bodies, and fuel guilt.
Motherhood and work often remain in tension.
The balance appears in company policies, HR brochures, and public speeches. But daily reality doesn’t always match theory: reduced hours viewed with suspicion, meetings scheduled for 18:00, subtle pressure to always be available. And the constant dilemma between being present in children’s lives or showing commitment to work.
The pandemic unexpectedly brought about an abrupt change in professional routines.
It showed that working with flexibility, autonomy, and a focus on results is possible. In many contexts, it worked well—better than expected. New habits emerged, such as asynchronous communication and more personalized time management. For a moment, it seemed we were moving towards models better suited to the diverse lives within companies.
Today, however, there is a global movement back to physical presence in offices. Many companies have decided to return to this model, citing reasons like strengthening collaboration, fostering organizational culture, mentoring junior talent, and team cohesion, which in remote models can fragment.
But there are also simpler—and equally human—reasons for this return: reunions with colleagues, camaraderie, spontaneous informal sharing lost in video calls, quick hallway conversations, the energy of a full room when an exciting idea emerges, and building relationships with clients that grow closer in person.
These are elements that remote work, no matter how efficient, cannot always replicate. They are valid arguments consistent with the real challenges many organizations face. Nevertheless, productivity continues to be measured by concrete results, not time spent on the computer. Perhaps it’s in this balance—between presence and autonomy—that the key to a more functional and humane future lies.
I once read a report reflecting some of the tensions associated with this topic. Men who opt for parental leave still report significant consequences: “Jorge” was fired the day he requested reduced hours to care for his daughter. Another father, “Artur,” returned from leave feeling unwelcome. If these cases raise relevant questions when discussing paternity, imagine what happens with maternity, historically associated with the caretaker role.
The work world is experimenting with new formats, seeking answers for increasingly diverse realities. Models like the four-day week, asynchronous communication, or more flexible time management structures have been tested in different contexts, with varied results. Not all experiences endure, but all contribute to a richer understanding of what works—and for whom.
We don’t need to look far to find those trying to do things differently. Sometimes, these stories are right next to us—in colleagues, leaders, teams daring to challenge the traditional format and test another way of being. Perhaps by listening to these experiences and acknowledging their complexity, we can envision a future where working and caring are no longer mutually exclusive choices.”*
*Text written under the Portuguese Language Orthographic Agreement of 1990 in force since 2009.
