Career professionals fear employment gaps from parental leave will disqualify them from jobs

Parents returning to work after extended childcare leave struggle with how to present employment gaps on their CV without facing discrimination from hiring managers. They face a catch-22: omitting the gap creates unexplained timeline holes that raise red flags, while disclosing it risks bias from employers who question commitment or current capabilities. Current CV formats and hiring practices don't accommodate legitimate life events, forcing candidates to either misrepresent their history or accept potential rejection.