The NLB Hosts “WILD: Motherhood in the Workplace” Discussion and Q&A

by Parker Allen
March 8, 2022

Last month, the National Lighting Bureau and Women in Lighting + Design (WILD) hosted a discussion entitled “WILD: Motherhood in the Workplace,” with:

Helen Diemer, Principal at The Lighting Practice, Inc.
Andrea Hartranft, Principal at Hartranft Lighting Desing, LLC
Tanya Hernandez, Vice President, Government & Industry Relations at Acuity Brands
Paula Martinez-Nobles, Principal at Fisher Marantz Stone
Nancy Stathes, President of Nanometer Lighting

This past week, they held a follow-up Q&A session with the five panelists from the original discussion. Watch the full video here.

Below are highlights of the discussion:

01:43 How did choosing to be a working mother impact your career?

10:35 What are specific things that can be done to help mothers in the workforce?

14:07 What policies, such as FMLA, do companies offer to help mothers? How does this differ between large and small companies?

26:29 What role does company culture play? How has that changed in recent years?

43:18 Select a word to help inspire or guide the next generation of women.

Q&A Session

50:25 Is there a parenthood penalty, in terms of advancement, both for people who have children and people who don’t?

57:26 Why are there separate/different leave policies for fathers and adoptive parents?

1:04:52 How do you deal with discrimination you might face as a working mom?

1:12:09 What advice would you give when starting to plan a family?