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The motherhood penalty: £125,000 lost and how we fix it with Joeli Brearley
AHHH this is a big one!! In this week's episode, I sit down with the legend herself, Joeli Brearley, founder of Pregnant Then Screwed and now Growth Spurt, one of the UK's most relentless advocates for parents in the workplace. After being fired by voicemail two days after announcing her pregnancy, Joeli turned her personal story into a movement, one that has changed laws, secured billions in government investment, and supported hundreds of thousands of mothers.
And the timing couldn't be better. Brand new ONS data just dropped showing that mothers lose £65,000 in the five years after their first baby, and £125,000 if they have three children. When people say "of course you'll earn less, just be grateful you have a baby," what they're actually saying is your financial freedom doesn't matter. But Joeli's here to tell you: it absolutely does, and it doesn't have to be this way.
This conversation isn't just about documenting the problem—it's about the solutions. From why parental leave is the single biggest lever we have to change everything, to why companies that hide caregiving are shooting themselves in the foot, to what Growth Spurt is doing to support the return-to-work transition that breaks so many of us.
This is essential listening for every working mother who's been told she should just accept less.
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By Dani BellAHHH this is a big one!! In this week's episode, I sit down with the legend herself, Joeli Brearley, founder of Pregnant Then Screwed and now Growth Spurt, one of the UK's most relentless advocates for parents in the workplace. After being fired by voicemail two days after announcing her pregnancy, Joeli turned her personal story into a movement, one that has changed laws, secured billions in government investment, and supported hundreds of thousands of mothers.
And the timing couldn't be better. Brand new ONS data just dropped showing that mothers lose £65,000 in the five years after their first baby, and £125,000 if they have three children. When people say "of course you'll earn less, just be grateful you have a baby," what they're actually saying is your financial freedom doesn't matter. But Joeli's here to tell you: it absolutely does, and it doesn't have to be this way.
This conversation isn't just about documenting the problem—it's about the solutions. From why parental leave is the single biggest lever we have to change everything, to why companies that hide caregiving are shooting themselves in the foot, to what Growth Spurt is doing to support the return-to-work transition that breaks so many of us.
This is essential listening for every working mother who's been told she should just accept less.