Dr Greta Morando is a Lecturer in Economics whose research focuses on inequalities and the impact this has on educational outcomes and the labour market.
In this Q&A, Greta spoke about her recent work around the impact of parental leave, as well as the ‘motherhood penalty’, on the labour market.
From your recent research, are there any particular pieces which you feel have had a positive impact on women’s lives or the understanding of issues women face?
Why Fathers Don’t Take Parental Leave
“This study examines why so few fathers take parental leave, even when policies allow them to. Using a novel nationally representative UK survey, we find that most people already believe fathers’ leave benefits mothers, fathers, and children, and that providing clear information makes these beliefs even more positive.
“However, changes in beliefs translate only weakly into changes in policy support or intended behavior, suggesting that structural and cultural barriers remain important.
“The research has already had policy relevance: we submitted it as evidence to the UK Government’s Parental Leave & Pay Review, and I also contributed to the review through participation in the academic roundtable.”
You can find out more here.
Maternal Preferences and the Motherhood Penalty
“Across most countries, women experience a serious and long-lasting drop in earnings and employment after becoming mothers, the 'motherhood penalty,' but its size varies widely. This study uses Finnish data to understand why.
“We find that parents across education levels tend to prefer daughters, reflected in fertility choices and leave-taking. Yet long-term career effects differ sharply: ten years after birth, university-educated mothers earn about 10% less if their first child is a son rather than a daughter. The pattern is smaller and reversed among less educated mothers. For highly educated women, these differences are largely driven by moves into more family-friendly jobs, such as in the public sector.
“The novel insight from this research is that personal preferences alone (in this specific case, preference for the gender of the child) do not determine women's labour market outcomes. Their impact depends on the opportunities available. When combined with different labour market options across education groups, parental preferences can generate large differences in how costly motherhood becomes for women’s careers.”
What do you hope to achieve in the future with your work?
“My research agenda seeks to deepen our understanding of what shapes women’s labour market trajectories, particularly after they become mothers. I am interested in unpacking the mechanisms behind what economists call the “motherhood penalty”; from individual preferences to workplace structures, institutional design, and norms within families.
“A central component of this work is examining how couples share paid and unpaid work, and how these dynamics shape outcomes for both parents and children. Ultimately, my goal is to generate evidence that informs policies fostering a more supportive work-family balance for all workers, while also promoting children’s wellbeing and development as a core outcome of better-designed family policies.”
What would your advice be to female academics starting out on their careers?
My advice to women starting out in academia: Protect your time, own your choices, and don’t shrink yourself.
First: learn to say no.
Women are often expected - explicitly or implicitly - to take on more of the “academic housework”: committees, mentoring, organizing, note-taking, pastoral care. These tasks are valuable, but many of them are not rewarded when it comes to hiring, promotion, or pay. Before saying yes, ask yourself: Will this meaningfully advance my career? If the answer is no, it’s okay to decline. Your time is your most precious professional asset. Spend it strategically. I highly recommend The No Club, which brilliantly unpacks this dynamic.
Second: most likely motherhood will change your career.
You cannot fully prepare for becoming a parent. In truth, no one is ever ready. But you can prepare by talking to others. Ask women and men ahead of you: What would they do differently? How did they manage reintegration after parental leave? What arrangements did they wish they had set earlier? There is wisdom in collective experience — use it.
Third: be aware of the double standards and question them.
Especially if you work in a male-dominated field, you may be treated differently. Sometimes subtly, sometimes not. The key is to notice it and reflect: Is this limiting me? Is this something I want to challenge?