Depends on where you work. If anything, I'm at an advantage and get special treatment. I have dr's appointments, awards assemblies, emergency illness, etc, and no one questions when I need to take time off for it. Employees without children are generally more likely to be asked for reasons when taking vacation/sick time.

It does depend on where you work.

Big law firm where you are expected to bill 2500 hours/ year = disadvantage.
I work for the government (prosecutor) and our office is very family friendly. I don't think having children is an "advantage" but it's definitely not a disadvantage.

... and, um, people get that woman in the stock photo some NEW SHOES !

Possibly, but also possibly with good reason. Many of the mothers I worked with left early, came in late, took unexpected time off, etc. because of kid illness, school events, and that sort of thing. Sure, it's unavoidable, but often, the other workers were left to pick up their slack (I've been there). If that happens too often, I do believe that pay and perks should reflect that. It might be unfair to automatically (from Day 1) treat a mother differently than another woman or man, but I do think that just BECAUSE you have kids you shouldn't be given more allowances. It's just not fair to other workers who are left to juggle what you possibly can't get done. And for better or worse, fathers aren't usually the ones who are rushing out of the office for a kid-related issue.

I agree with schnappycat! As much as we wish working moms were equal to men, they often are not.

I agree with schnappycat, however I believe fathers are much more at a disadvantage. My husband is given a VERY hard time if he tries to leave work for a family event or emergency, whereas I'm able to leave easily. In my experience, this is much more often the case than not.

i wouldn't call it a disadvantage.. on the other hand, for those who are paid equally, i think it's an unfair advantage.. mom's who work claim flexibility is vital for them, and so in turn they may get paid less because in the long run they're probably working less. that's not a knock against them, it's just people without kids aren't having to leave early all the time, or miss work unexpectedly if their child is sick, or has a play at school, etc. etc..

I don't work anymore and will be a SAHM any day now but I just wanted to reply to runningesq's comment: ROTFLMAO!!! I didn't even notice her shoes and then I looked back at the pic and practically choked on my water..thank you for the laugh!!!!

runningesq - You are so right about the shoes!
As a working mom, I'll just say that when I've had to leave the office early to take my kid to the doctor, I always finish my work and never leave someone else to pick up the slack. So I think often times childless people think that moms do less work but what they don't see is mom logging on at night when the kids are in bed finishing the work they may have completed while in the office. So I don't think it's really an advantage or disadvantage as there are pros and cons. But it does suck when people assume you don't work as hard because you aren't as visible in the office space.

it really depends on where you work, and i totally agree with you babysugar on this

i think working moms are treated differently, but honestly, the moms i know who work ARE a different kind of employee than their childless female counterparts and their male coworkers. if their children are sick the moms stay home. if the children will always come first to these women, so the job can only come second. for many employers second is not good enough.

lickey split — I agree that kids come first for most working moms. That said, I also think mothers are the ultimate multitaskers and often work doubly hard to dispel any misconceptions people may have of them.

I don't think you guys understand the point licketysplit and other are trying to make. Its not about work ethic {for the most part}.
I think it just is what it is.
Women who aren't mothers don't have the same types of demands as women who are.
If its between someone who isn't a mom, and someone who is- it seems like people will go for the 'non-mom' because they want to be top priority, and that's just not realistic for a mom.

#12 is right on. From the second you decide you're going to be a mom, you know that you will have to make sacrifices, and this is one of them. Personally, I think that the joy of being a mom is worth making a little less money (statistically) and not being seen as committed as male counterparts in the workplace.