If you get a chance to pick up a copy of USA Today, I’m in today’s (Tuesday’s) paper, with a column claiming that the phrase work-life balance isn’t helping the cause of women in the workforce. We should jettison the phrase with its implications. I like Cali Yost’s “fit” but work is part of life. They are not diametrically opposed. I’d love to see this one spread around a little more, so if you’d be willing to share the column on Facebook, or tweet a link, I’d appreciate it!
I’m not a fan of the word “balance” either. As often note when I am feeling the weight of both work and non-work committments, work and life are “balanced.” I just might get crushed under the weight of both.
This is all great but what is still missing from the conversation is what work should look like in the “age of women” as that author of “the end of men” states or more accurately what work should look like in the modern area of equally shared parenting etc.
for example the 5 to 7 p.m. happy hour or the 3 martini 3 hour lunch is out of date…
most of my friends with kids would network say from 8 to 9:30 p.m. after kids are in bed and would more readily split that shift with spouse than right after work dinner hour or networking that goes on around the time of daycare pickup though most boards and corridors of power still offer power meetings at those times.. the 4:30 coffee or water at the end of a work day that starts earlier is also good or just varying that networking time…
also it is not reasonable — or even desirable to offer advice based o n having a nanny or live-in “help” so given this… yes there are alternatives…
THIS! What work should look like in the age of shared parenting and longer/more varied careers is just as important as admonitions to lean in and pleas for better healthcare or year-round schools and all that. There is an article in the NYT today (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/18/booming/he-hasnt-had-it-all-either.html) about a dad who leaned back in his career to have more time for his family, and he highlights some issues with trying to recraft the work day expectation, but in many careers, especially in an age when creative work is in higher demand, it would be nice if flexibility in work time and location were not penalized.