Abstract
Career breaks for working mothers can lead to a decline or even a permanent end to their professional lives. While prior research has explored the broader implications of such breaks, limited attention has been given to post-break career outcomes, especially occupational downgrading. This study explores how and when occupational downgrading influences returners’ intentions to quit, drawing on sociological stigma theory and organizational support theory. Using data from 203 working mothers who exited and later re-entered full-time employment, we examine the mediating role of life satisfaction and the moderating effect of supervisor support. Findings confirm that occupational downgrading reduces life satisfaction, thereby increasing intentions to quit. However, high supervisor support mitigates this negative effect, eliminating the impact on life satisfaction. These insights underscore the importance of structured organizational support systems in improving returners’ reintegration and well-being. The study concludes by outlining practical and theoretical implications.