The Double Shift: When Women Work Two Jobs and Get Paid for One

Fashioned by expectations, reinforced by culture, and quietly propping up the global economy — the Double Shift is the invisible reality millions of women live every single day.

Women are expected to work like they don’t have children —and mother like they don’t have jobs.

It sounds like a dramatic line from a documentary. But it’s not drama. It’s data.

According to the International Labour Organization, women spend 3–5 times more hours on unpaid care work than men: cooking, cleaning, organising, emotional support, school logistics, elder care, household admin (ILO Report).

Globally, this invisible labour is worth $10.8 trillion a year — more than the entire tech industry. And yet, it appears on exactly zero payslips.

But that’s only half of the story.

Millions of women are also holding down full-time jobs, running businesses, studying, leading teams, raising families, contributing to economies…all while carrying the majority of the mental load at home.

This is the Double Shift — and it quietly shapes women’s opportunities, wellbeing, financial security, and long-term economic power.

It is one of the biggest silent factors behind gender inequality. And it is one that business has both the power — and the responsibility — to change.

🌱 The Reality Behind the Double Shift

Women don’t just juggle. They carry.

Carry the calendar. Carry the emotional temperature of the household. Carry the remembering, planning, anticipating, organising. Carry the guilt of not being “enough” at work and “enough” at home at the same time.

This is the part the United Nations refers to as “the burden of unpaid care work,” and it’s a central barrier to achieving gender equality under SDG 5 and decent work under SDG 8 (UN SDGs).

When mothers work, they’re not working one job. They’re working two — one paid, one unpaid.

And here’s the uncomfortable truth: as women advance in their careers, society often expects them to compensate at home for the “ambition” they show at work.

Meanwhile, men’s unpaid workload barely changes after having children.

This isn’t about blame — it’s about facts. Facts that shape the daily lived experience of half the planet.

🔥 The Emotional Weight No One Sees

Ask almost any working mother what keeps her up at night, and she won’t say “deadlines.” She’ll say:

• “I still haven’t responded to that school message.”

• “Did we run out of what the kids need for tomorrow?”

• “I need to book that dentist appointment.”

• “Why does everyone seem to need me at the same time?”

• “I’m tired… and the day hasn’t even started.”

This isn’t inefficiency. This is the mental load — the cognitive overhead that sits like a browser with 47 tabs open.

It’s the load that is unseen, unmeasured, and unacknowledged — yet dictates women’s participation in work, leadership, entrepreneurship and wealth creation.

🌍 Why This Matters for Businesses

Here’s where the conversation becomes an economic one, not a social one.

Countries where women participate equally in the workforce see:

• GDP increases of up to 20%

• Higher labour productivity

• Stronger small-business ecosystems

• Better outcomes for children and communities

(UN Women; World Bank)

When women are supported at work, entire economies rise. This is not an opinion — it is a core pillar of the global development agenda.

Businesses that prioritise women’s participation benefit on every metric:

• retention

• creativity

• culture

• leadership representation

• long-term resilience

In other words: women’s economic empowerment is not a “nice to have.” It is one of the smartest competitive strategies a business can invest in.

💡 What Values-Driven Businesses Can Do

The United Nations, ILO and OECD all highlight the same thing: supporting working mothers is one of the highest-impact actions any organisation can take.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

1. Flexible work that’s genuinely flexible

Not performative. Not grudgingly offered. Flexibility rooted in trust.

2. A culture that doesn’t punish motherhood

No quiet career penalties. No assumptions about ambition.

3. Equal parental leave

When fathers take leave, mothers’ long-term earnings increase. The data is crystal clear.

4. Respect for the mental load

Normalise the realities —“It’s okay if you need to step out. You’re a parent.”

5. Leadership pathways designed with real life in mind

Career progression should not depend on pretending not to have children.

These are not cost centres. They are investment multipliers.

🔥 Why Stories of Business Is Stepping Into This Conversation

Stories of Business exists to highlight the companies doing more than selling products. We spotlight businesses shaping culture. Businesses choosing purpose over shortcuts. Businesses committed to equity, dignity, and community impact.

The Double Shift is the perfect example of a global issue where:

• storytelling matters

• culture matters

• leadership matters

• policy matters

• community matters

And it’s the kind of issue where Stories of Business can play a critical role — through narrative storytelling, toolkits, consultancy, and impact-focused content.