A CEO commended a mother on maternity leave for her determination to return to work two days after childbirth, describing her as gritty. However, he faced online criticism for equating desperation with resilience—the original post has since been deleted but was retweeted by Danny Thompson, Director of Technology at This Dot Labs.
America's celebrated work ethic increasingly resembles a pathological obsession rather than commendable diligence. As work hours expand and wages stagnate, essential needs like healthcare and housing become increasingly unaffordable.
This desperation forces countless individuals to become mere workhorses, sacrificing everything for survival. However, some leaders actually see these cases as 'inspiring' as exemplified by a recent, widely condemned statement from a certain CEO.
The post lauded the mother for her supposed grit and drive in juggling a fast-food job while caring for her newborn, rather than "complaining" or engaging in "doomscrolling." The CEO recounted visiting a fast-food drive-thru on Mother's Day, overwhelmed by customers. Opting for indoor service, he witnessed a scene that borders on the surreal.
"She came over, and as she did, a baby was crying in a stroller parked next to the register," he wrote. "She then told me she was actually on maternity leave but came in to help the staff (ON MOTHER'S DAY) because they were swamped."
The CEO then inquired about the toddler's age standing beside her at the cash register. "She points to the one I saw crying and says, 'he's two, but this one is 2 DAYS OLD.'"
"Instead of complaining or doomscrolling on her phone, she made a choice to come in and help the team ON MOTHERS DAY!!" the CEO gushed, in a sentence dripping with condescension. But the depths of his ignorance were yet to be plumbed.
The CEO admired her grit, determination, care, and drive, claiming he and his wife were "completely floored." However, he failed to mention whether they offered financial assistance or a better job opportunity to alleviate her burden of working behind a fast-food counter while potentially recovering from childbirth.
He claimed to have been nearly brought to tears, citing his own upbringing by a single mother. He hoped her story would inspire others to persevere, regardless of their circumstances, emphasising the importance of not giving up and feeling seen.
CEO Faces Outrage Over Mother's Day Post
The CEO's oblivious post has left people outraged and highlights how utterly dehumanising America's economic system is — especially for mothers.
This critique is not directed at the mother herself but rather at a system that forces its most hardworking citizens to endure such extreme circumstances. It also challenges the romanticised view held by many privileged individuals who perceive a perverse poetry in the struggles of the impoverished.
A Redditor on the LinkedInLunatics subreddit pondered aloud whether the CEO's portrayal of the story as inspiring rather than dystopian was more baffling or the fact that numerous others on his network agreed with him.
Many questioned the integrity of the CEO's story, given the physical toll childbirth takes on a woman's body. Some speculated that the post was fabricated to align with the CEO's overtly political, right-wing Christian views prevalent in his social media profile.
The United States, despite its wealth, boasts the highest maternal mortality rate among developed nations. A federal minimum wage stagnant for 15 years, as reported by AmericanProgress.org, effectively decreasing by 26 per cent adjusted for inflation, compounds the economic hardship countless Americans face.
Charles Schwab (Logica Research) suggests the alarming reality is that nearly 60 percent of the population is one unexpected financial setback away from homelessness.
Whether or not this self-aggrandising executive fabricated this story, his post is a damning indictment of a nation that glorifies struggle over support. It's a chilling portrait of a society that not only permits but seems to encourage the exploitation of its most vulnerable citizens.
Kate Winick, a former social media director at Peloton, shared her challenging experience of being laid off while pregnant on LinkedIn in May. She detailed the difficulties she faced in finding new employment while expecting and the discrimination she allegedly encountered.
The United States: A Paid Maternity Leave Desert
For those old enough to remember the height of George W. Bush's popularity, you might recall a 2005 Town Hall where he lauded a Nebraska mother's extraordinary work ethic for holding down three jobs.
"That's uniquely American, isn't it?" he remarked about the woman, missing the glaring reality by a mile. Yes, it's uniquely American to require multiple jobs just to make ends meet.
The United States stands alone among developed nations in its lack of guaranteed paid maternity leave. According to the OECD, it's the only high-income country without this essential benefit for new mothers.
Unlike most developed countries, the United States lacks a federal law guaranteeing paid parental leave. This means that whether or not new parents receive paid time off depends entirely on their employer's policies.
According to the Center for American Progress, 2022 Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows only about 24 percent of private sector workers have access to paid family leave.
Almost two decades have elapsed since Bush' tone-deaf remark, yet the situation has only deteriorated, according to a post by YouTango. The publication suggests we have yet to learn much, as evidenced by a now-deleted Mother's Day LinkedIn post from a certain CEO.
