Anyone else out there want to chime in?
I’m sure by now, most of you have seen today’s page 1 Washington Post piece on how working women today find part-time the most appealing, but only 24% of working mom’s have that option.
Seems that employers didn’t read my memo on how great the Dutch women have it with part-time work.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/11/AR2007071102345.html?hpid=topnews
So, seems that 60% of us would prefer part-time to full time or not working.
I’m left with wondering a few things.
1. What the hell is newsworthy or new about this?
2. No shit most of us would prefer working part-time, especially on a day like today, where its 85 and sunny and PERFECT and we could be at the pool with our tykes.
3. When, oh when, are employers in this country going to get with the times and start focusing on part-time as a viable option for good workers who have proven themselves?
When are we going to stop writing pithy pieces about new studies that reveal today’s working woman would like to go part-time and today’s mother is more “family focused” (where do they dig that crap up from) – and when are we going to see some ACTION.
Sure, I know that companies like Deloitte are held up – the holy grail of helping working moms. But see, I think that’s just PR. Have you met a working mom from Deloitte that works any less than 40-50 hours a week? Because I know I haven’t.
And I think my favorite part of the article is the bit where part-time working mom’s (41%) give themselves a higher ranking as a parent than full-time working mom’s. Apparently only 28% of us think we deserve a high ranking as a parent.
Again – how about some elaboration on the fact that those who work part-time don’t have to deal with the stress of traffic a day or two a week, don’t have to deal with racing around like a freaking maniac from home to work and back to home to squeeze in as much awake time as possible with the little ones five days a week, and on and on.
Is it that they think they are better parents or is it that they have more of an opportunity for the work-life “balance” that we all are so desperately seeking? Because I personally have yet to meet a full-time working mom who I wouldn’t classify as outstanding and deserving of a high ranking.
Clearly I’m in an agitated mood today but I read this piece in the Post and I think “NO SHIT – and this is on page one because WHY”
How about instead of interviewing another “researcher” at some prestigious university, go interview a CEO AND a Member of Congress AND a presidential candidate and ask them what they are going to do to bring American businesses into the 21st century and become more accommodating to working parents? AND THEN follow up with them again in 6 months, and then another 6 months. I’d rather hear from the people making the decisions at businesses and the legislators up on the Hill than these college professors and researchers.
That’s a piece I’d like to read.
