There is no path to excel for a working mother. I spent several years at Exponent as a highly ranked consultant, always rated at or near the top of my cohort. When I had a baby and took maternity leave (which, by the way, is not fully paid at Exponent), I apparently fell majorly behind everybody else in my group. Not only was I the only one in my cohort not promoted, but I was not even "put up" for promotion due to my reduced billable hours for that year - despite my many prior accomplishments over the tenure of my career at Exponent and high quality work product. While I raised concerns to senior management about this and other similar issues regarding factors that are weighed during employee evaluation, nothing was done to make the process more equitable. When I repeatedly spoke up about what I felt was right, I was treated as a pest and as if I weren't grateful.
Despite so many companies evolving with the times (ie., by offering paid maternity leave, preventing employee burnout, allowing for guilt-free sick and vacation time, etc), Exponent is doubling down on its antiquated and conservative ways, leading to recent high employee turnover. After repeatedly being shut down by me and other consultants who have literally begged for change to make us happier, I have no faith that Exponent will become a company that treats its employees well. The corporate team has proven an utter lack of values and a focus on one thing only: billable hours.
