The Work Behind the Work

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The Work Behind the Work is a WorkingNation podcast about why raising children in America has become so difficult, and what that reveals about our entire economy. Hosted by WorkingNation executive producer and working mom Melissa Panzer, the series looks at how rising costs, lack of support, and cultural expectations are pushing families to the brink. Birth rates are falling. Care is unaffordable. And the long-term consequences are already unfolding. This is not just a parenting problem. It is a national economic warning.

Episodes

  1. Supporting working parents can fix the economy. Here’s how.

    5 AUG

    Supporting working parents can fix the economy. Here’s how.

    Caregiving is critical economic infrastructure, yet society still treats caregivers like an afterthought. To build a stronger economy, workplaces need practical solutions that actually support working families.This episode explores real ways to fix the caregiving crisis. From flexible job design to paid leave to better support for part-time and shift workers, we highlight practical changes already working in the real world. Featuring bipartisan insights and examples of what businesses are already doing right, we show why supporting working parents is not just good for families. It is essential for a strong economy.Featuring Reshma Saujani, CEO of Moms First, Eve Rodsky, author of Fair Play, journalist Josie Cox, author of Women, Money, Power, June Carbone, professor of law at the University of Minnesota, Naomi Cahn, professor of law at the University of Virginia, Chris Herbst, professor at Arizona State University, and Caitlin Codella Low, former vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.Presented by WorkingNation, the nonprofit media platform focused on the future of work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    51 min
  2. Why Ambitious Moms Are Burning Out at Work

    29 JUL

    Why Ambitious Moms Are Burning Out at Work

    Women aren’t stepping back from careers because they lack ambition. They’re being pushed out by workplaces built around the expectation that good employees have no caregiving responsibilities.This episode investigates how rigid workplaces, economic inequality, and unrealistic expectations for constant availability push talented mothers out of jobs at their peak earning years. What would happen if workplaces actually supported caregiving, and why is that critical for economic success?Featuring June Carbone, professor of law at the University of Minnesota, Nancy Levit, professor of law at the University of Missouri–Kansas City, and Naomi Cahn, professor of law at the University of Virginia co-authors of Fair Shake: Women and the Fight to Build a Just Economy and journalist Josie Cox, author of Women, Money, Power.Presented by WorkingNation, the nonprofit media platform focused on the future of work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    25 min
  3. The Housewife Myth: How Gender Roles Were Sold as Tradition

    22 JUL

    The Housewife Myth: How Gender Roles Were Sold as Tradition

    The traditional image of the stay-at-home mother didn’t emerge by chance. It was intentionally created by marketers and industry leaders to meet economic needs during America’s industrial boom.In this episode, we uncover how economic forces, and deliberate cultural messaging crafted a myth of motherhood that pushed women out of paid work and into the home. This manufactured ideal still shapes workplaces and family expectations today. But what happens when reality doesn’t match the marketing?Featuring Lisa Selin Davis, author of Housewife, Reshma Saujani, CEO of Moms First, Chris Herbst, professor at Arizona State University, Barbara J. Risman, PhD (University of Illinois Chicago), and journalist Josie Cox, author of Women, Money, Power.Presented by WorkingNation, the nonprofit media platform focused on the future of work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    43 min
  4. The Mental Load is Holding Women Back. Here’s Why It Matters for the Economy.

    15 JUL

    The Mental Load is Holding Women Back. Here’s Why It Matters for the Economy.

    In households across America, mothers are often the default managers of everything from medical care to education to emotional wellbeing, all while balancing paid work.Why does this enormous responsibility so often fall to women? And how is it impacting their careers and our broader economy?Care work isn’t instinctive. It’s assigned.This episode looks at how caregiving roles form early and follow women into adulthood and the workplace. We travel to Bangladesh to meet the Shodagor, a river-trading community where caregiving looks very different. What can we learn from them about the mental load, gender roles, and the economic impact of invisible labor?Featuring sociologist Barbara J. Risman, PhD (University of Illinois Chicago) and biological anthropologist Katie E. Starkweather, PhD (University of Illinois Chicago). Presented by WorkingNation, the nonprofit media platform focused on the future of work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    24 min
  5. Why Does Becoming a Mom Still Hurt Women at Work?

    8 JUL

    Why Does Becoming a Mom Still Hurt Women at Work?

    When women become mothers, their careers often pay the price. Their salaries stall, promotions become scarce, and workplaces quietly start to see them as less committed employees.In this episode, we dig into why workplaces penalize women for motherhood, creating long-lasting economic consequences that affect families, businesses, and the entire economy. Where did the motherhood penalty come from, and how can we finally remove it?Featuring economist Vicky Pryce, author of Women vs. Capitalism, and journalist Josie Cox, author of Women, Money, Power.Presented by WorkingNation, the nonprofit media platform focused on the future of work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    29 min

  6. 27 JUN

    Trailer

    The Work Behind The Work is a WorkingNation podcast about why raising children in America has become so difficult, and what that reveals about our entire economy.Host Melissa Panzer, an executive producer at WorkingNation and a mom, herself, will explore the growing strain of raising children in America and what that reveals about our entire economy. Episodes will discuss how rising costs, lack of support, and cultural expectations are pushing families to the brink. Birth rates are falling. Care is unaffordable. And the long-term consequences are already unfolding.This is not just a parenting problem. It is a national economic warning. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    2 min

Trailer

About

The Work Behind the Work is a WorkingNation podcast about why raising children in America has become so difficult, and what that reveals about our entire economy. Hosted by WorkingNation executive producer and working mom Melissa Panzer, the series looks at how rising costs, lack of support, and cultural expectations are pushing families to the brink. Birth rates are falling. Care is unaffordable. And the long-term consequences are already unfolding. This is not just a parenting problem. It is a national economic warning.

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