Writers Den

Balancing Work and Family

Balancing Work and Family Introduction
As a divorced mother of three I have been in and out of the workplace for the last
thirty-four years. I will focus on the art of balancing between raising children and
supporting them. I believe that flexibility for women in the workplace is a social and
structural issue that needs improvement in our society. I will evaluate the factors that
have affected families negatively for working mothers, and working parents. I will
describe different factors that have affected single mothers and duel-working parents
due the lack of flexibility in the workplace. I will hypothesize how the problems may be
solved using more flexible policies in the workplace. I will show how potential social and
economic benefits may result in the recommended changes when implemented for
working parents and their families. I will conclude with prospective solutions to the
current problems that working families face in the workforce which will be solved by
education, parental responsibility, and restructuring the workplace by allowing more
flexibility.
I- Problems for Duel Earner Parents in the Workplace.
There are many negative factors that have affected families with working parents,
and have taken too much time away from their children and families. More women are
remaining in the workplace after giving birth, "Employed women continue to shoulder
nearly 80% of the ‘second shift’ of household chores and childcare responsibilities"
(Haddock, Zimmerman, Lyness and Ziemba 2006). With so many mothers working the

care of children has become shouldered by day-care, after school programs, and
children that are left at home un-supervised. "Of the women in the workforce today,
approximately 71% are working mothers" (Giraffe, 2011).
According to a twenty year old study that discerns the worries of working parents
that are entering the workforce, " The US Department of Labor predicts that two of every
three jobs in the next few years will need to be filled by women. By 1995 it is projected
that 34,000,000 kids six to 13—more than three-quarters of all those in this age range–will have working mothers" (Latchkey kids worry parents 1994). Single parent families
are growing, and the issues of supporting their families have become more complex as
stated in a study about balancing home and work, "Individuals who have more extensive
and complicated family obligations-such as mothers or members of dual-career couples
are apt to have a greater difficulty in balancing their work and family lives than are men,
single persons, or those who are married to a full-time homemaker" (Berg, Kalleberg, &
Appelbaum, 2003). Duel-earning families are growing more necessary due to the high
cost of living. Although there are more parents working the workload at home has
remained the same as stated in the following study, "The number of duel-earner families
has increased as has the combined hours parents are working while the timeconsuming demands of maintaining a family and caring for dependents are unchanged"
(Berg, Kalleberg, & Appelbaum 2003). Our society is becoming more out of balance
when it comes to the needs of our home and family lives.
Regardless of the amount of time women are spending in the workforce mothers
are still the primary caretakers and homemakers, even when both parents are working

equally as stated in the Journal of Family and Economic Issues, "Despite increased
labor force participation, women continue to be primarily responsible for the majority of
household labor and childcare" (Haddock, Zimmerman, Lyness and Ziemba 2006).
Often parents find that they are penalized when they have to take care of the immediate
needs of their children when it interferes with work. Some women find that working has
become more rewarding than being a homemaker according to a study on balancing
work and family done in 2003 which states, "Supportive and participatory workplace has
become a haven from stress and strains of family life such that ‘work becomes home
and home becomes work’" (Berg, Kallegerg, and Appelbaum, 2003). This can prove to
be a problem if it takes more mothers out of the home and neglects the needs of the
families.
A major problem women face as breadwinners and homemakers in the work
place is that they are not able to attend to many of their responsibilities with their
children. "Being female and having problems with child care was significantly related to
negative attitudes toward managing work and family responsibilities" (Berg, Kalleberg
and Appelbaum 2006). Working and providing for families can feel like an overwhelming
task which is adequately described in a study about the balance of home and family that
states how the high-commitment results in a "Negative relationship between
organizational commitment and work-family balance" (Berg, Kallegerg, and Appelbaum
2006). Another serious problem for mothers who are working in less professional
positions "In many lower paid jobs, employers are expressly forbidden to use such
common strategies as using the telephone to communicate with care providers, taking
time off for appointments with doctors, teachers, or exchanging work schedules with

colleagues" (Messing, Barthe, and Abbas, 2011). When both mother and father are in
the workforce studies have shown that it is still not an equal playing field, as noted in
this study about Strategies used by women in the service sector "Women, on the
average, have less decision latitude at work than men" (Messing, Barthe, and Abbas
2011). Because women tend to take more off for their children than men, there remains
an imbalance in the workforce.
II- Factors That Affect Families With Working Parents
Our societal workplace has been following the same structural pattern since the
nineteen forties which remains a forty hour week, working eight hours day. The structure
has been following a set pattern that is becoming more and more obsolete due to the
current circumstances of our working parent population. The following issues appear to
be due to the lack of flexibility in the workplace. Our children are our future and they
need parental supervision. "Duel-earner couples now out-number male
breadwinner/female homemaker families nearly three-to-one, and there has been a rise
in mothers with children under the age of one in the workforce, from 49.4% in 1985 to
61.8% by 1998" (Haddock, Zimmerman, Lyness and Ziemba 2006). Because there are
so many dual-earner couples in the workforce many families are being neglected.
"Similarly, 63.7% of all married mothers with children under the age of six were
employed outside the home" (Haddock, Zimmerman, Lyness and Ziemba 2006). Issues
involving latch-key children where children are being unattended due to the loss of
working parents. The rising cost of living is a problem for parents that they are faced
with the issue of expensive childcare that many cannot afford to pay. A growing number
of parents are deciding to leave children home while they work. Giraffe explains the

dilemma, "While some of the household work, such as childcare and housekeeping, has
transitioned to outside providers, many working mothers cannot afford to employ these
services" (Giraffe 2011). Giraffe denies a problem due to leaving kids alone in chapter
four of the textbook Contemporary Problems and the Workplace, stating that"…research
shows that latchkey kids have no-higher incidences of injury, drug use, or other deviant
behavior than children who have constant parental supervision at home" (Giraffe,V.,
2011).
I beg to differ with his findings in that all research is not accurate, or thorough.
According to research from an article that used several studies showing the opposite
findings, "The high profile currently give to child neglect focused attention on young
children left alone where fear, premature sexual activity, use of alcohol or drugs,
inappropriate television viewing, poorer school performance, accidents and
vulnerablilty to child molesters as seen as possible outcomes" (de Vaus D, Millward C.
1998). Another study from Science News in 1989 states the obvious deduction about
children left home while parents are working, "So-called latchkey children, who
routinely care for themselves without supervision, run a higher risk of alcohol,
marijuana or cigarette use than do children who are supervised afterschool and in the
evening, according to a new scientific report" (Latchkey kids 1989). Kids who are
unsupervised are twice as likely to smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol and smoke
marijuana "compared with students who had constant adult supervision afterschool"
(latchkey kids1989).
Absenteeism is also an issue for working single parents and duel-earning
families. Parents are taking time off for doctor appointments, parent teacher

conferences, to care for sick children, fatigue from overwork, daycare issues,
emergencies, and blizzards.
Many families are choosing to work what is called off-shifting which is a situation
where "The two parents would work different shifts with obvious potential consequences
for family" (Messing, Barthe, & Appelbaum 2011). This poses the problem of rarely
having time together as a married couple, and a family. "The lag in changes to
workplace practices leads to continued constraints on successfully balancing work and
family" (Haddock, Zimmerman, Lyness and Ziemba 2006). The parents are clearly being
penalized for missing work to take care of family matters.
Many single parents are also going to college to improve their career
opportunities "In 2009, 45% of first-time 2-year college students and 24% of 4-year
college students were only 25 years old. Students today often care for dependents in
addition to working at least 35 hours per week" (Giraffe 2011). The problem with this
scenario is that parents that are working and attending college have even less time to
spend with their families.
III-Factors that Need Improvement in the Workplace
The problems of single and dual-earnrng parents in the workplace may be solved
using more flexible policies in the workplace. Families need a more flexible schedule in
order to spend time with families, "Successfully balancing work and family is beneficial
for all involved: families and employees" (Haddock, Zimmerman, Lyness, and Ziemba
2006). The following is a list of Flexible Working Solutions for working mothers and dualearning couples in the workplace:
Alternative work schedules & Flexible work schedules.

Reduce the penalty in the workplace for entering and exiting after childbirth.
Available maternity leave with a guarantee to return to same job afterwards.
Atypical schedules rather than working the "norm" hours.
Control over work schedules for employees-Autonomy over scheduling issues,
shifts, vacations, ability to leave work for childrens parent teacher conferences,
doctor appointments, etc.
On the job educational training, & tools to perform more efficiently.
Computer technology in order to work from home.
No penalty for attending to the needs of their children.
Flex-time schedules are schedules that give the employee more control with their
own schedules. According to Giraffe, "Flextime allows workers to complete their work
when they can be most productive" (Giraffe 2011). "Flexibility has been positively linked
to job satisfaction, decreased family work interference, and increased time with family"
(Haddock, Zimmerman, Lyness and Ziemba 2006). More information about flexibility
Giraffe says that, "In addition, flextime allows employees to handle personal business
such as doctor appointments or school functions without having to take sick leave or
vacation time" (Giraffe 2011).
Other flexible scheduling ideas include the buddy system
where employees and co-workers cover for vacation, appointments, extended sick
leave, accidents, emergencies, illnesses for employees and their children.
Where long hours of commuting becomes a problem that separates parents and
family due to extended traveling. The creation of remote office centers and co-working
facilities provide a way for parents to spend less time, and use less carbon emissions by

lengthy hours of driving. "Remote office centers give workers access to fully equipped
facilities that are closer to their homes" (Giraffe 2011).
Telecommuting is also another way to save time and travel "Working from a
location other than a centralized office communicating with coworkers through
technology instead of in person is known as teleworking of telecommunicating" (Giraffe
2011). Other ideas to lessen travel time are being created such as "A more recent trend
in job center location is the return of companies to downtowns" (Giraffe 2011). An
alternative to commuting and traveling to work, and to save money on fossil fuels, would
be to live and work within walking or bike riding distance of the workplace. The theory
being that everyone would live in a crowded metropolis rather than suburbs, or country
living. This notion may be more appealing for many people who already work within the
city.
IV-Projected Strategies for Corporate Involvement
Prospective solutions to the current problems that working families face in the
workforce could be improved and possibly solved by education, parental responsibility,
and restructuring the workplace by allowing more flexibility.
A-Education.
Corporations could help with the cost of education and Training to provide free
training for employees to improve the skills within the workplace. Many corporations
such as the military provide free college education to those who are enlisted.
Corporations and employers could provide college education as a benefit to their
employees. With many older students, and single parents entering college there is a
need for more scholarships for student parents. "Students today often care for

dependents in addition to working at least 35 hours per week" (Giraffe 2011). College
students require programs where they can have adequate financial aid to help them in
college if they are supporting dependents. Better scholarship programs through college
and universities would provide opportunities to ensure that single parents, who are in
college, are spending more time at home and less time having to work to support their
families. There is a need for extended forgiveness programs for working parents, other
than just the medical and educational fields which are in place now. The problems of
having to pay back huge college loans make going to college seem like a waste of time
for many students.
B-Parents Personal Responsibility.
Corporations need to realize the importance of families and children. Children are
the future of this world, what we teach them, and how we teach them is the most
valuable asset they will have when they grow up. Parents are responsible to raise
responsible children. Corporations that see the importance of family will be better able
to implement policies that are Family Friendly. "One important way in which highperformance work organizations seek to elicit commitment from their workers is by
instituting family friendly policies" ( Berg, Kallegerg, and Appelbaum 2003). Parents
need to look for companies that have family friendly policies and positive
supervisors.
Children learn by the examples of their parents, if parents are not around to
guide their children, parents will not know what their kids are learning. Becoming a
parent is a responsibility that requires wisdom, patience, and is a job that lasts a lifetime. Parents need to nurture and spend quality time with their children. "Formal

company work and family policies such as flexible work arrangements, assistance with
child or elder care and extended leave can make it easier for employees to spend time
with their families or act on family concerns" (Berg, Kalleberg, and Appelbaum 2003).
Parents need to choose jobs that are closer to home to reduce commute-time so they
are able to spend more time with their children.
A positive technological contribution for parents are opportunities to attend
college online as well as the ability to work from home. Since mothers are the ones who
take the majority of the responsibility of homemaking and childcare, it would be
reasonable that more mothers stay at home, live more frugally, and adjust their
priorities, so they are able to raise healthy, safe and responsible children.
C-Fexibility and Restructuring the Workplace
There are many options for corporations to restructure the workplace so that
working mothers and duel-earning families could be accommodated. Corporations could
provide more flexible scheduling for duel-earning or single parent families, without
penalizing them for time spent caring for their children’s needs. Corporations should hire
positive and diverse supervisors and managers who have an integral understanding of
their employees. Giraffe explains the need for diversity stating that "Addressing different
lifestyles is essential for businesses that want to attract talent from the diverse
workforce.(Giraffe 2011). By hiring diverse supervisors a corporation will have a better
ability of understanding the needs of their employees.
Employees need to have a greater amount of flexibility and autonomy in their
jobs so that they are able to adjust their schedules to fit their needs. Giraffe explains

that "Working with employees to offer options for hours, work structures, and work
locations can offset lost productivity causing absenteeism and
stress. Employers recognize that there are options to the traditional eight-to-five
workday" (Giraffe 2011). Corporations could provide flexible schedules for single parent
families. Incorporating atypical scheduling for families that need it "The term ‘atypical’ is
used to refer to scheduling in which some or all of the work hours fall outside the socalled ‘normal’ workday" (Messing, Barthe, & Abbas 2011).
Many parents work after school hours, or when children are home because of
school or government holidays. Worrying about children that are home alone "…creates
a heightened level of parental stress that could potentially interfere with work
performance and productivity" (Latchkey kids worry parents 1994). Family friendly
workplaces could include corporations (and colleges) that allow parents to bring their
children when situations arise where the children would otherwise be left unattended.
"The major area of family friendliness in the workplace involves a work culture that
supports work-family balance" (Haddock, Zimmerman, Lyness, and Ziemba 2006).
V-Concluding Statement
I have explained the potential social and economic benefits that could result with
the recommended changes of more flexible work schedules, more employee control
over schedules, and increased benefits were implemented for working parents and their
families. I have described the factors that have negatively affected families with working
mothers, and working parents such as: the stress on working parents that keep them
away from their families due to many unforeseen issues, the problems of leaving
children unattended for many hours, at day-care, or in after-school programs. Many of

the problems with latchkey children may be solved by utilizing more flexible policies in
the workplace that may benefit the working parents and their families.
I have concluded with prospective solutions to the current problems that working
families face in the workforce which could be helped with education, restructuring the
workplace, and allowing more flexibility with scheduling and location. With the
implementation of more flexible schedules, corporate training, more positive work
cultures, that are family friendly, our society may commence viewing childrearing as an
important feature in the workplace as well as in our culture. If organizations wish to raise
their productivity they need to accept the changing needs of the working parent
population within our workplace. "Sixty-five percent of those surveyed indicated that
alternative work schedules increased morale or productivity" (Berg, Kalleberg and
Appelbaum 2003).
Family friendly policies create positive work attitudes that help reduce the stress
of working mothers and duel-earners are under to support their children. Economically it
would benefit employers and employees to have the ability to make substantive
decisions in the workplace. In the textbook Contemporary Problems and the Workplace,
Giraffe describes a need for a more flexible workplace in the future when he states,
"Change is inevitable in the American workplace today managers and employees alike
benefit by maintaining current skills and embracing attitudes that are flexible and
adaptable" (Giraffe 2011). With more and more families becoming duel-earners great
changes to the workplace are inevitable. There needs to be a restructuring of the social
structure that we have been following since the forties. We have continued to hold on to

outdated social structures when the technology has brought us into the future. We need
to adapt socially to change in order to meet the needs of our families.

Reference Page
Giraffe, V., (2011). Contemporary problems and the workplace. San Diego,
CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: A RESEARCH ROUNDUP. (cover story).
Harvard Business Review [serial online]. September 2013, 91(9): 86.
Available from: Publisher Provided Full Text Searching File, Ipswich, MA.
Accessed September 5, 2014. Retrieved from Ashford University Online
Library.
Messing, K., Caroly, S., Barthe, B.B., Messing, K.K., & Abbas, L.L., (2011).
Strategies used by Women Workers to reconcile family responsibilities with
atypical work schedules in the service sector. Worker, 4047-58. Retrieved
from Ashford University Online Library.
Haddock, S.A. Zimmerman, T., Ziemba, S.J., & Lyness, K.P. (2006).
Practices of Duel Earner Couples Successfully Blancing Work and Family.
Journal of Family and Econmoic Issues, 27(2), 207-234.
doi:http://dx.doi.org.proxy-library.ashford.edu/10.1007/s10834-006-9014-y.
Retrieved from Ashford University Online Library.
Berg, P., Kalleberg, A.L., & Appelbaum, E. (2003). "Balancing work and
Family: The Role of High-Committment Environments." Industrial Relations
42,no.2:168-188.doi:10:1111/1468-232x.00286. Retrieved from Ashford
University Online Library.

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Balancing Family and Work Life (Outline)
Sarah Huntley
SOC 402 Contemporary Social Problems & the work place
Instructor: Peggy Morrison
June 8, 2015

INTRODUCTION
In todays world, every common person has stressful life not because of personal problems only
but a major cause of stress is that they are not able to manage their work life and personal life
simultaneously. These problems are mostly faced by working women having family, kids and

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husband. Though it is a difficult task to balance both the phases of life, but few leaders and
managers are of the view that it is not impossible to make the deliberate choices between the
two. Its just a person need to optimize his/her priority in order to choose the best option for
them. While making any choice between the two or to take any important decision in any part of
life, a person needs to consider his or her family preferences as well. By making an intelligent
and relevant choice at the time of emergencies and problems, a person can manage at both the
ends meaningfully with work, family, and community. It has been found that a person who wants
success in his professional life, need to prosper in their family life as well so as the person can
have mental satisfaction while performing his tasks. That is why, it has been rightly said that
Behind every mens success, there is a woman. It clearly shows that if a person is getting
success in his work life, he must have personal satisfaction and peace for excellent performance
and time devotion at work. It does not mean that he is ignoring his family and not able to devote
perfect time at home with his kids and wife. The key point here is that a person should have to
manage their own human capital by putting maximum efforts in both work life and family life to
maintain the right balance between the two.
BALANCING THE SITUATION
In fact, our successful leaders in corporate world of 21st century also face such problems and they
very well reconcile their both professional life and family life.
At some point of time, a person might need to sacrifice his one part of his life so that they can
attain their goals in family life. However, sometimes it is not deliberate choices of the people to
do that. Deliberate choices dont guarantee complete control over life decisions because
sometimes life happens to be miserable. Under such situations, it becomes necessary to handle
the emergencies, like accident of a near and dear one or any such condition, by keeping control

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over the life head emotions. It becomes really difficult to perform well or to stay away from
family just to attend some important meeting or to meet any urgent target in office. But many of
the executives weve studiedmen and women alikehave sustained their momentum during
such challenges while staying connected to their families.
There are many leaders and corporate people who have successful and painful stories behind
their success and most of them advice to follow five main themes to balance their two phases of
life, that is, to define the word success for yourself, managing the technology, creation and
building of support networking both at work and at home so as to make use of them during
emergencies, selectively making decision regarding travelling or relocation and finally you
should know the best way of collaboration with your spouse and kids. (Abrahams 2014)
Due to rising inflation in the economies all over the world, it has become a necessity to earn for
both men and women in order to live a comfortable life. Both of them have to face many
challenges and conflicts between both phases of life which has beco