“Maybe Baby?” (Potential) Motherhood Penalties and What to Do About It

Abstract

Popular narratives and research grounded in role theories portray women as either childfree or mothers. However, this binary framing oversimplifies how women of childbearing age are perceived and treated in modern organizations. In this chapter, I present “maybe baby” bias—the mere expectation that a woman of childbearing age could have a child in the future—and explaining how it shapes workplace evaluations and decisions. Drawing on empirical research from across the United States (U.S.), Western Europe, and China, I take an intersectional approach to highlight the critical confluence of sex, age, and parenthood, while also considering the cues that trigger “maybe baby” bias. Overall, results show this bias is more strongly applied to women than men—potentially also more prominent toward childfree women versus mothers—and generates perceived risks and career penalties even despite equal qualifications. I also suggest several organizational strategies to mitigate this bias and promote more merit-based employment practices. Because employees will always have babies (and bodies), addressing this subtle yet consequential bias is critical to advance equity and retain top female talent.