Work Life Balance Issues

This chapter aims to: provide an overview of the issue of work life balance through a look at the masculine work practices of the long hour’s culture, inflexibility work environments, and presenteeism as a cultural norm; demonstrate how work and career development is structured around men and men’s lives without taking into account how work practices impact individuals (predominantly women) with caring responsibilities such as childcare or looking after elderly parents/relatives; it explores how parenthood in particular impacts the careers and career development of women, especially those in male dominated occupations; and discusses the research on women who do not have children. Women who do not have children are often overlooked when looking at women in the workplace. The decision whether or not to have children due to career aspirations is much more of an issue for women than men as having children is more likely to impact on the working lives of women. The chapter also shows how ‘choice’ between career and parenthood perpetuates gendered occupational segregation and certain occupations and industries are less sympathetic to the needs of working mothers.