Women aren’t opting out of work. Workplaces are...

Companies often assume that when mid-career women step back from leadership tracks, their ambition has faded. Our research suggests something else is happening. The real pressure point is caregiving strain. Caregiver strain is the cognitive, emotional, and logistical burden of coordinating care for children, parents, or other dependents—and our research found it was the most powerful predictor of workforce exit. Unlike other pressures, caregiving strain does not shut off when the workday begins: