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Julie Schwartz Weber September 23rd, 2009

The Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire recently published a new brief, “Family-Friendly Policies for Rural Working Mothers.” This brief, authored by Assistant Professor and Faculty Fellow Rebecca Glauber, analyzes the differences in access to family-friendly policies between rural and urban mothers. Glauber concludes that rural women are less likely than their urban counterparts to have access to family-friendly policies, including paid sick days, parental leave, flextime, and health insurance.

Importantly, Glauber asks why this difference in access exists. She writes that there are a “number of factors that contribute to the rural- -urban gap in mothers’ access.” While she indicates that education is a “strong predictor of access to family-friendly policies,” she asserts that approximately 50% of the gap in access to sick or vacation days is due to differences in rural mothers’ versus urban mothers’ work establishment size, occupation, and industry, and unionization. That is, rural workers tend to work in smaller places and in industries that provide fewer benefits.

In addition, Glauber finds that a particular subset of rural mothers – single mothers – fare particularly poorly concerning access to family-friendly policies. For instance, according to Glauber, 41% of rural single mothers do not have access to paid sick days compared to 38% of all rural mothers and 30% of urban mothers. Similarly, Glauber finds that over one-fifth of rural single mothers do not have access to any paid days off (sick days or vacation days) compared to 16% of all rural mothers and 14% of urban mothers. Again, Glauber concludes that single rural mothers have the least access to family-friendly benefits because they have less education, work for smaller firms, and work in jobs that are less likely to offer benefits.

To find more information on rural families and work-family issues, please see our Work and Family Encyclopedia entry “Rural Families and Work-Family Issues,” by Lisa R. Pruitt.

• Leave , Mothers and Fathers , Publications , Research , Workplace
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Featured Guest Blogger August 3rd, 2009

Maggie Jackson is an award-winning author and journalist known for her penetrating coverage of U.S. social issues. She writes the popular “Balancing Acts” column in the Sunday Boston Globe, and her work has also appeared in The New York Times, Gastronomica, and on National Public Radio. Her latest book, Distracted: The Erosion of Attention and the Coming Dark Age, details the steep costs of our current epidemic deficits of attention while revealing the astonishing scientific discoveries that can help us rekindle our powers of focus in a world of speed and overload. Please note that the views of our guest bloggers do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sloan Work and Family Research Network.

As a mother of two teen daughters, I’m thrilled by the positive messages they often receive about gender equality. One of their former nannies is a promising academic, finishing her PhD. Their aunt is a cardiologist. One of my best chums from college is a U.S. senator. My kids’ schoolwork is highly valued by fair, challenging teachers.

But we have far to go before my daughters will have the same opportunities open to them in the work world as boys in their generation. In particular, if they become mothers, they may experience plenty of discrimination, as I pointed out recently in one of my Balancing Acts columns.

Studies showing a “motherhood penalty” at the office and in the job market aren’t new. Mothers earn less and are seen as less committed and competent than other workers, much research shows. But one recent study stands out: a real-world experiment led by Stanford’s Shelley Correll found that mothers received half the callbacks for job interviews as equally qualified childless women.

What set this award-winning experiment apart is the fact that Correll’s team measured discrimination directly through fieldwork. Such audit studies are considered the “gold standard for considering whether discrimination is occurring,” Correll told me. In the study, researchers sent fake resumes to 638 employers over an 18-month period, then tracked the responses. In separate data, fathers were called back at a higher rate than childless men, although the differences were not significant.

The good news is that policy-makers, advocates and judges are increasingly cracking down on such caregiver discrimination. And yet, far too many people still see moms as unfit for leadership and advancement. Until we all can look at a mother and see potential, my daughters will be receiving mixed messages about their future – and we as a society will be unnecessarily turning talent away from our doorsteps.

• Mothers and Fathers , Publications , Research
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Featured Guest Blogger June 29th, 2009

In 2008, Christina Barlowe founded LifeWork Alliance. The organization was formed to address the paradigm shift that is reshaping today’s workforce. The mission is to institute and promote open dialogue between organizations and working parents. Nearly two decades of professional corporate experience, coupled with an MBA and a Masters in Social Work, form the well-rounded skill set necessary to head the innovative organization that is LifeWork Alliance. Christina has a four-year-old son and a newly adopted little boy who have reshaped her life and been her source of inspiration. Please note that the views of our guest bloggers do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sloan Work and Family Research Network.

I had this bright idea about how I would build a life with my partner and how things would become bigger and better as our careers grew and our family grew. Sure, I would work, but I would be able to scale back during those tender early years for my children, because of course my husband’s career would be blossoming. And then it happened– 2007, that is.  Most people didn’t speak the word “recession” until late 2008. For those of us in the New York area, however, the decline in stability and rise in fear happened about a year in advance. My husband lost his job, as many people did, and we saw it as the opportunity that would allow us to explore other options for him and for us. We quickly discovered a few problems with this plan: 1) We still needed to pay the mortgage as we were “exploring,” and 2) Things become increasingly harder at home because our usual roles had changed greatly. As much as we like to think that we are not gender role-specific in this day and age, it is a simple fact of conditioning that we still are bound to these roles, however loosely. We have slowly adapted to me being the primary breadwinner and he being the primary caregiver. Sure, there is jealously and resentment and even envy at times from both sides.

What has been more challenging than either one of these roles, though, have been the roles within the marriage. Who are we now? It is clearly different that what we were when we married and what we imagined we would become. Do we like these new people? Do we have a choice? I have found that communication, as clichéd as it sounds, is the key to mental and emotional survival in these circumstances. My husband is a wonderful father, and men in general are more involved with their children today than they were in the past, which is a blessing for all involved. Even if there are new rules that have been bestowed upon us in this new economy, the rules will always shift. It is an individual’s ability to adapt to those new roles; that is the necessary skill for survival.

• Child Care , Definition of Family , Mothers and Fathers
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Featured Guest Blogger May 26th, 2009

Stephen Sweet, Ph.D. is the Teaching Resources Specialist at the Sloan Work and Family Research Network and an Associate Professor of sociology at Ithaca College. Please note that the views of our guest bloggers do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sloan Work and Family Research Network.

What happens to individuals who are trying to enter into the labor force when jobs are scarce?  This is the concern confronting many of my graduating students, who are trying to enter a job market that can best be described as “grim.”  For them, economic insecurity does not come from the prospects of job loss, but from the uncertain prospects of finding a good job in the first place.

Phyllis Moen, Peter Meiksins and I have argued that a commonly held conception of workers as unencumbered individuals underplays the constraints faced by those in insecure jobs.  Consider, for instance the case of new Ph.D.s.  My colleagues who teach in some of the very best graduate level institutions are reporting that few (and in one case none!) of their Ph.D. graduates are finding jobs.  The reason is not only that there are too many Ph.D.s seeking too few jobs, but also that the jobs that were anticipated to be created have evaporated.  For example, the American Sociological Association reports that in comparison to 2006, when there were 610 jobs listed for assistant professors, in 2008, there were only 370 jobs listed.  Unfortunately, I would estimate that the searches for about half of those jobs were cancelled after the advertisements were placed.   But that is half the story.  When new Ph.D.s graduate from their programs, most are in relationships.  Many have started families (or are at the anticipatory stage of family formation) and they will seek jobs thinking of the right life stage-institution-community fit.  Complicating their search further is the fact that many (roughly 1/3) are in relationships with other academics. This means that their career movements will be tightly tied to the career goals of another worker, who may also be seeking employment.  This career convoy is navigated in a job market where most of the job opportunities have dried up.  Grim indeed.

There is a very sad natural experiment going on right now.  What happens to individuals who prepare for upwards of 10-15 years to enter into a career, only to find a closed gate at the entry point?  And for those lucky enough to land one of the few jobs out there, what happens to the careers of their partners and to their relationships?  This could make for a very good study, performed under natural conditions that we all wish were not present.

For more about job insecurity, see my Work and Family Encyclopedia entry as well as a related definition in the Work and Family Glossary.

• Mothers and Fathers , Research , Workplace
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Featured Guest Blogger May 18th, 2009

Maggie Jackson is an award-winning author and journalist known for her penetrating coverage of U.S. social issues. She writes the popular “Balancing Acts” column in the Sunday Boston Globe, and her work has also appeared in The New York Times, Gastronomica, and on National Public Radio. Her latest book, Distracted: The Erosion of Attention and the Coming Dark Age, details the steep costs of our current epidemic deficits of attention while revealing the astonishing scientific discoveries that can help us rekindle our powers of focus in a world of speed and overload. Please note that the views of our guest bloggers do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sloan Work and Family Research Network.

The title of the Families and Work Institute’s latest national study is “Times are Changing.” But the report easily could have been dubbed “Minds are Changing.”

One of the most striking elements of the fascinating report, which I covered recently in my Boston Globe “Balancing Acts” column, is the dismantling of American veneration for the “male-breadwinner” family model - even among older generations. Not all that long ago — in 1977 — 75% of men and nearly half of women believed that it’s better for men to earn the money and for women to care for home and family. Back then, gender boundaries were clear and distinct, and cracks in this belief system were largely unwelcome.

Now, about 60 percent of each gender reject the idea that men should be breadwinners and women should stick to homemaking. Strikingly, nearly half of workers 63 and older now reject the traditional model, up from just 10%  in 1977. Another sign of change: 80% of women and about 65% of men now agree that a mom working outside the home can have just as good a relationship with her kids as a stay-at-home mom.

Surely, attitudes aren’t everything. Actions speak louder than words, and it’s important to note that American gender roles are changing in execution, as much as in attitude. Last year, women held 49% of the nation’s jobs, and women in dual-earner households contribute 44% of family income. Men spend more time taking care of the home and with kids than in the past. A stay-at-home dad is no shock anymore.

But belief systems also matter. A little girl who thinks she can’t be president won’t grow up and run for office. A young dad who treats caring for his kids as babysitting likely has a narrow definition of fatherhood. In the biology world, there’s a word for these powerful and long-lasting cultural ideas. They are “memes,” elements of a culture or system of
behavior that are passed down by imitation, not genetics.

So when minds are changing, the world is shifting. And when it comes to loosening rigid gender roles, that’s a very good thing.

• Mothers and Fathers
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Julie Schwartz Weber May 13th, 2009

Of late, our country and the rest of the world are confronting the realities of living with the possible global pandemic of swine flu. In America alone, as of May 4th, more than 1000 confirmed or probable cases of swine flu have been reported from 44 states. While the public health and medical considerations are rightfully getting a lot of air time, there are a host of work-family issues that emerge from this situation, including:

• Paid sick days:  The CDC, as well as state and local officials are asking workers and sick children suspected of contracting swine flu to stay home from work and school to prevent the possible spread of infection. However, with more than half of the country’s workers lacking a single paid sick day, and even more without time off to care for family members, including children, this request presents a potentially dire situation. Working families are forced to choose between adhering to a government public health mandate and staying home to care for their sick loved one or themselves or losing a paycheck — or even their job — by opting to stay home.Even if a particular employer or state has a paid sick days policy, or you happen to live in California or New Jersey, where paid family leave policies are being implemented, there are serious questions about whether these policies would provide coverage for healthy children whose school is closed due to a public health issue. Additionally, the federal Family and Medical Leave Act would likely not allow for even unpaid time off for most parents to care for children, as it mandates time off to care for a “seriously ill” child; here, most of the children staying home from school are well.
• Child care:   Under the direction of the President and public health officials, some schools have been closed due to children or staff within the school having swine flu.  While most recently the CDC recommends not closing schools “unless there is a magnitude of faculty or student absenteeism that interferes with the school’s ability to function”, the fact that a possible pandemic did — and can again — lead to the closing of schools, triggers questions about child care. With most caregivers in the workplace, and few employers providing paid sick days and/or paid leave, how can parents take time off from work to tend to their children in the event of no school?

• Telework: Numerous people have highlighted the importance of employees, especially Federal Government employees, to be able to continue operations in the face of catastrophes, including pandemics. In the event that workplaces are closed for public health reasons, telecommuting becomes a viable, if not the only, solution for continuing operations. Moreover, for parents of healthy children home from school, telecommuting becomes one way to continue working while simultaneously securing their child’s safety and care.

• Child Care , Medical Leave , Mothers and Fathers , Policy , Sick Leave , Telework , Workplace
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Featured Guest Blogger April 27th, 2009

In 2008, Christina Barlowe founded LifeWork Alliance. Nearly two decades of professional corporate experience, coupled with an MBA and a Masters in Social Work, form the well-rounded skill set necessary to head the innovative organization that is LifeWork Alliance. This combination of extensive real world expertise with a comprehensive education results in a keen understanding of, and passion for, the needs of individual parents as well as the expectations of the organization. Christina has a four year old son who has reshaped her life and has been her source of inspiration. Please note that the views of our guest bloggers do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sloan Work and Family Research Network.

When I was in college and even graduate school (the first time), I had great ideas about what my life would look like. The career, the husband, the kids, the house, the trips and then BAM !

And so it all came, not necessarily in that order. The only problem was integrating those parts of my life proved challenging, or more like close to impossible. Not only was I having trouble balancing it all, I was firmly planted in my new reality but not enjoying any part of the dream. My identity became compartmentalized for thw sake of self preservation as I was thrust either by choice or circumstance, into my various new roles of boss, employee, friend, mother, wife, daughter, professional, and student. Finally, the roller coaster came to a screeching halt after my son turned a year old. I was clueless where I was and how I got there.  It was time for change but I had no idea how to navigate it and the definition of what I wanted changed daily.

This new reality is more prevalent today than ever. Women coming out of college have decisions to make in order to chart their course of establishing their careers and lives. If they are forward thinking, they are looking at how to integrate those careers into a future partnership, extended family unit, and possibly motherhood.

How do you know what form of work / life balance is right for you? Each person is unique and therefore each person’s needs are different. We can and should educate this next generation with our own road maps. You can stay on the main highway, take the scenic route, or make a detour either willingly or because life just has a way of doing that to you.  Would it not be a critical part of their decision making as they construct the framework for their lives?

It is with this inspirational journey that LifeWork Alliance was formed. The organization was formed to address the paradigm shift that is reshaping today’s workforce. The mission is to institute and promote open dialogue between organizations and working parents. I found a distinct void in any such service or community for that matter when I was working my way up the proverbial ladder, and especially when I started my family. I was confused and stumbling, and when I asked for guidance the expectations of my performance were even more demanding now that I was a mother. Luckily, I used that transformation to create a community both online, in corporate settings, and in off-site workshops where people can not only express their challenge with adjusting to their new lives, but also gain valuable tools and insight. There is nothing more powerful than validation and mutual respect.

• Mothers and Fathers , Scheduling , Spillover , Workplace
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Featured Guest Blogger March 12th, 2009

Maggie Jackson is an award-winning author and journalist known for her penetrating coverage of U.S. social issues. She writes the popular “Balancing Acts” column in the Sunday Boston Globe, and her work has also appeared in The New York Times, Gastronomica, and on National Public Radio. Her latest book, Distracted: The Erosion of Attention and the Coming Dark Age, details the steep costs of our current epidemic deficits of attention, while revealing the astonishing scientific discoveries that can help us rekindle our powers of focus in a world of speed and overload. Please note that the views of our guest bloggers do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sloan Work and Family Research Network.

The news seemed promising: married women, who’ve been contributing a growing share of median family income for years, are becoming crucial breadwinners during the recession.

But taking a closer look at this trend for my Balancing Acts column, I realized that working wives’ new clout isn’t entirely cause for celebration for many dual-earner families.

Many families are depending more on women financially because recent steep layoffs have hit men hardest. And this rejiggering of roles is hurting many families, since women more often work part-time and earn less on average than men in the same jobs. This is just one more reason why families today are so squeezed and couples are under enormous psychological stress.

Speaking with couples in this situation, I could hear terror and desperation in their voices. Many had always sought to be equal providers, or at least to take turns being the main provider. But a layoff steals the power of choice away from people and robs them of their secure feelings about the future.

In the long run, it is promising that women are contributing more to family finances, and that men are doing more at home. But to help families in future, we need equal pay, along with real flexibility in gender roles, so that men and women can adapt their work/home responsibilities both to their desires and to their family’s needs in times of lean and plenty. Such advances could ease some of the pain that many families are experiencing today.

• Mothers and Fathers
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Featured Guest Blogger January 26th, 2009

This post was contributed by Holly McCarthy, who writes on the subject of job search. She invites your feedback at hollymccarthy12 at gmail dot com. Please note that the views of our guest bloggers do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sloan Work and Family Research Network.

During the winter months, working parents can face a variety of situations regarding their children’s health. The cold weather helps speed up the process from the sniffles to a full-blown, debilitating cold. What do you do when the school nurse calls and needs you to come pick up your children?

Many employers realize that children are an employee’s top priority. As a parent, taking care of your children will always be the first concern. However, what’s a parent to do in these tough economic times when taking time off for your children could adversely affect your standing with the company?  What happens if there are other emergencies outside of your immediate family that may require your attention? There are a few things that can be done:

1. Speak with the Boss
   Let your boss know what is going on and what you are doing to remedy the situation.  Offer to work from home and stay in touch while your child gets better—there are many ways to rectify the situation. Being proactive in situations like this usually works out in your favor; if you are willing to tackle the difficult conversations head-on, your boss will often be willing to talk things through with you.

 

2. Take Turns with Your Spouse
   This is a good idea if you feel like you are the go-to parent for emergency pick ups. Employers might be understanding for a while, but eventually tire of you being the one who is always called to come to the rescue. Work things out with your spouse so that they take turns with you. Naturally, some days you may need to swap this duty if something particularly important is going on at work.

 

3. Have an Emergency Back-Up Plan
   While this isn’t going to always be an option, some of us know people who either don’t work or work from home, possibly with a flexible schedule. Perhaps on the days when it is most difficult for you to get away, you can rely on these people to pick up your sick child and take them home.  If you are able to do this, planning for the next couple of days will be far easier and your day will not be truncated.  Finish up your work for the day, inform your employer of your forthcoming absence, and prepare to work from home if necessary.

Many workers have to deal with these kinds of situations all of the time, so know that you’re not alone. Work with your employer and spouse to keep the lines of communication open.

• Child Care , Family Leave , Mothers and Fathers , Sick Leave , Workplace
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Featured Guest Blogger January 19th, 2009

• Flexible Schedules , Mothers and Fathers , Organizations , Scheduling , Spillover , Workplace
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