Balancing Work and Family

Characteristics of a good family life include quality time spent with family, whether that family is children or relatives or even close friends, a distinct separation from one's work life, and the feeling of satisfaction in home life with one's family. The idea that work does not encroach on one's personal life is majorly tied into the balance of career and family life. Boundaries, and thereby expectations for both the employer and employee, that are set upon the realization for more of a balance are key in having a good family life and a good career life. Setting up a work schedule, whether it all takes place in an office, at home, if it includes flextime, telecommuting or a combination of all of the above.

Difficulties arise all over the socioeconomic map when attempting to strike a true balance between work and home. It seems that statistically, people in high-paying positions and those in lower-paying positions struggle most with balancing work and home because of expectations their employers hold for all employees, regardless of the employees' home life. High-profile professionals, lawyers, for instance, are expected to work upwards of 70 hours a week. While low-wage workers are expected to work shifts that are assigned to them, often not schedules that are consistent on a week to week basis. It is telling that the less money one makes, the less options one has as far as flexibility goes. According to the AFL-CIO, "Flextime is available to nearly two-thirds (62 percent) of workers with incomes of more than $71,000 a year but to less than one-third (31 percent) of working parents with incomes less than $28,000."

Across the board, the major transition from the traditional man breadwinner paired with a woman homemaker, to a society with women and men both working. When women fulfilled a role solely in the home and community, while men were the only ones in the workplace, there was a societal norm to which almost all Americans adhered. With gender roles blurred, and many women seemingly questioning their choice to stay in the work force full time, the work landscape is in a state of shambles. Both workers and employers have to make concessions in order to be successful. There is almost a sense of resentment toward women who ask for work concessions to be made once they have children. This is largely a response to women who have worked hard to be men's equals, but then cannot work on the same demanding levels once family becomes important. The result is what is referred to by some as women's choice to opt-out of work, while others call it a push-out. This has also pushed almost half of women who are married or share a household with someone to work a different schedule from their spouses or partners, according to the AFL-CIO. Obviously this attempts to make the family life more harmonious, but actually serves to make it an additional challenge to surmount.

Employers can be sensitive to their employees' family needs and obligations by having an open line of communication between the two. If an employer maintains an open-door policy, then an employee will feel more comfortable discussing alternative work options, like telecommuting and flextime. Employers should be open to alternative ideas and explore the evidence how employees benefit from using non-traditional techniques to achieve comparable, if not improved, levels of success. Positive changes have included increased productivity, higher quality of work and higher rates of material retention. Overall, responses to flextime have been better than responses to telecommuting, although both have the potential to be very potent in assisting people looking to balance their work and home lives.

The support of family members, workers or neighbors would make balancing work and home priorities far easier because having an actual life, outside of work and children or a husband or someone who a worker cares for, gives them more of an initiative to have experiences that are not necessarily just work and home, but also a broader community. Every person has the potential to define their life in whatever terms he or she chooses, but in giving oneself more of an opportunity to experience all kinds of things and people, one can truly become happy and know oneself. Additionally, these types of support will likely push the worker in question toward what is truly best for his or her overall livelihood. It is easy to get or feel trapped in a situation, as a caregiver or worker, but alternative perspectives on any situation can help to realize where a balance lies.

• How can employers be sensitive to their employees’ family needs or obligations?
• How might having the support of family members, workers or neighbors make balancing priorities easier?