Flexibility is not a perk, it’s a necessity for working mothers
FOR generations, Jamaican women have carried two full-time roles at once — building careers while managing the invisible weight of caregiving, household responsibilities, emotional support, and family leadership. As conversations around workplace flexibility continue to evolve, many are asking an important question, can the modern workplace finally make room for the realities of working mothers?
Globally, the International Labour Organization estimates that 708 million women remain outside the labour force because of unpaid caregiving responsibilities, underscoring the invisible pressures many working mothers continue to navigate daily.
According to the president of the Human Resource Association of Jamaica, Dr Cassida Jones Johnson, Jamaica’s evolving flexiwork landscape represents an important step in the right direction.
The reality behind the flexibility conversation
“The patriarchal society has transitioned into one that reflects a growing number of single working mothers and families where both parents are required to work,” she explained. “Caregiving responsibilities continue to remain predominantly with mothers, so the shift makes room for working mothers to agree on a flexible arrangement that does not hinder their contribution within an organisation.”
As more Jamaican women continue entering leadership and professional spaces, the balancing act between career growth and caregiving has become increasingly visible. Dr Jones Johnson believes flexibility must move beyond being viewed as a perk and instead be recognised as a necessary support system for modern families.
“Flexiwork policies need to make room for the realities of several mothers in Jamaica who remain keen on enhancing their careers whilst providing quality time and focus on their world outside of work,” she said. “From quality time with a spouse, to supporting their children through pick-ups, extra lessons, extracurricular activities, and, in some cases, special therapy.”
She noted that the growing global discussion around “micro-shifting”, the constant switching between work, parenting, caregiving, and emotional labour throughout the day, is something many Jamaican mothers have been managing long before it had a name.
“‘Micro-shifting’ has been in existence pre-flexiwork policies,” she said. “In recent times, the policies are creating frameworks and formalising these constant switches.”
Why workplace culture matters more than policy
While many organisations have introduced formal flexibility policies, Dr Jones Johnson highlights that implementation remains one of the biggest challenges. “We recommend that leaders be guided to create minor adjustments to the workday,” she said, pointing to solutions such as adjusted start times, staggered shifts, planned timeouts, or flexible core hours.
She also believes many employers still equate productivity with physical visibility. “Employers who manage by visibility often assume that there is reduced productivity when working remotely,” she explained.
Another lingering misconception, she said, is that mothers on flexible arrangements should somehow be overlooked for advancement opportunities. “It really starts at the top of the organisation. Leadership must showcase equal opportunity practices and trust by embedding genuine flexibility to attract and retain the talent possessed by mothers in Jamaica.”
Redefining leadership through empathy
For Dr Jones Johnson, empathy-driven leadership is critical to building healthier, more inclusive workplaces for women and caregivers. “Empathy-driven leadership creates psychological safety for women to vocalise their needs and allows career advancement beyond visibility,” she said.
She also believes motherhood can cultivate qualities that strengthen leadership and people management. “Different life experiences from a human behaviour perspective may enhance emotional intelligence, organisational ability, time management and attention to detail,” she explained.
When it comes to the many Jamaican mothers still trying to balance ambition, caregiving, and personal well-being all at once, her message is clear.
“The ability to say ‘No’ when necessary is a way of setting boundaries in the interest of your well-being,” she said. “There is no weakness in asking for support, and ambition does not have to be a straight line upwards.”
The real challenge facing modern workplaces is not whether mothers can manage ambition and caregiving at the same time. Jamaican women have been doing that for generations. The question now is whether organisations are finally prepared to build workplaces that truly support them in doing so.
For the Human Resource Management Association of Jamaica, that future depends on leaders who are willing to move beyond performative flexibility and create workplace cultures grounded in empathy, trust, and genuine inclusion.
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