In light of the ongoing pandemic, LinkedIn is making strides to better accommodate caregivers, including stay-at-home parents and other caretakers, by allowing them to accurately reflect their experiences on their profiles. This change comes after years of requests from dedicated individuals who stepped away from the workforce to take care of their families.
The pandemic has disproportionately affected working women, leading to millions leaving their jobs. LinkedIn’s new features aim to address this disparity by introducing titles like “stay-at-home mom” and “stay-at-home dad,” which can now be included without needing to link them to a specific employer. This shift represents a significant change in how caregiving is recognized in professional spaces.
As highlighted by content creator Jenna Roberts, the previous lack of options for acknowledging caregiving roles was a glaring oversight. “It’s essential to normalize gaps in employment for caregiving,” she stated. “People shouldn’t feel embarrassed about time taken for family responsibilities.”
LinkedIn is also implementing a separate section for employment gaps on user profiles, allowing individuals to categorize their time away from work, whether due to family leave, personal health issues, or other reasons. This adjustment is a crucial step toward reframing hiring conversations to be more inclusive. Moreover, users can now include their gender pronouns directly in their profiles, addressing a common request for increased representation.
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