Academic careers are based on expectations of high productivity, professional mobility and constant availability, therefore parenthood

and motherhood in the academic environment become a relevant issue of work organization and career opportunities. The aim

of the article is to reveal the preconditions for unequal career opportunities for employees with children in academic organizations.

The study is based on a qualitative interpretative design, and data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The study highlighted three interrelated processes that take place in the academic environment, which form unequal career opportunities. These are

the transfer of professional requirements outside the formally defined working hours, conditionally applied and unequally accessible

flexibility, and the impact of these processes on employees professional pace, engagement and career decisions. It has been established

that employees‘ experiences differ and this depends on gender, career stage and available support resources. The article shows how everyday academic work practices become a prerequisite for the formation of unequal career opportunities.