women in the workplace

Are Working Moms a Burden to Employers?
parenting

The Burden of the Working Mom: Fact or Fiction?

If you've been part of an office environment while pregnant or as a parent, chances are, you've faced challenges (and some judgments, too) that are nonissues to your co-workers.
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If you've been part of an office environment while pregnant or as a parent, chances are, you've faced challenges (and some judgments, too) that are nonissues to your co-workers. In a recent article for Forbes.com, Victoria Pynchon states her case for the working mom, admitting frustration when her "mom employees" would have conflicting obligations but also noting that she now realizes that it wasn't necessarily their fault. She writes:

As I look back on the problem for both me and the working mother, I realize that my law firm simply failed to take into account the existence of working mothers on my team when planning my staffing needs. This was not rocket science. There was plenty of work for women to do at home if they had to relieve a babysitter or pick up a child at 6 p.m. If I needed a live, warm body in the office, better management on my part and better support from HR could easily have solved the problem.

According to a set of statistics presented by Dina Bakst, cofounder and copresident of A Better Balance: the Work & Family Legal Center, absences because of illness, injury, or medical problems are often two to three times as high as absences because of "child care problems, other family or personal obligations, civic or military duty, and maternity or paternity leave."

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News to Me: Women Are Choosing Their Careers Over Love
career

News to Me: Women Are Choosing Their Careers Over Love

The days of obvious gender roles are over, according to a recent article on CNN.com, which says that many women are choosing their careers over love.
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The days of obvious gender roles are over, according to a recent article on CNN.com, which says that many women are choosing their careers over love. In a study conducted by Catherine Mosher of Duke University Medical Center and Sharon Danoff-Burg at the University of Albany, the stereotype of men being more dedicated to their jobs than their relationships is debunked; it's actually the men who are more willing to sacrifice achieving their career goals.

According to the article:

Researchers asked 237 undergraduates to rate the importance of goals such as financial success, career, education, and contribution to society, as well as goals such as romantic relationships, marriage, children, and friendship. While 51 percent of the women prioritized romantic relationships over achievement goals, more than 61 percent of men did the same.

These numbers are not all that surprising to me since women have fought so hard to have equal rights in the workplace. In addition to proving our abilities, it's much more disruptive for women to leave the workplace after having children than it is for men and even harder to return. Luckily I have not had to make a choice between my love life and my career, but have any of you? If so, what did you choose? And if not, how do you think you would sway if you were faced with a decision like this?

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