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Originally Posted by Mark Larson
Who will suffer if I don't bring home the amount of bacon that I usually do, such as by accepting a job with lower demands that allows me to spend more time at home? Rising to the top means giving your all to the company, making sacrifices and being there when the company needs you.
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I think there is more to a quality life than just "rising to the top" in the corporate world so you can buy more "stuff".
I see too many people so focused on work, that they forget what they are working to achieve. Certainly I don't advocate ignoring your work or being perceived as a "clock watcher" at work. But I do think you need to set reasonable limits as to what you will do on your off hours.
I don't have any hard rules that say my email doesn't get checked after hours or on weekends. In fact, I do check it often so that if it's an important issue, I can respond quickly. On the other hand, I have told my boss a few times "I'm spending time with my family now and this doesn't appear to be an issue that can't want until tomorrow."
My attitude doesn't seem to have affected my position in the company. In fact, I recently turned down a promotion because I believe that it would have reduced our quality of life rather than increased it.
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Originally Posted by Mark Larson
Many men have been divorced when they take time off, get fired or laid off, or work fewer hours - because they are straying out of their role of provider.
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I would say that these men married the wrong women and these women married for the wrong reasons. A husband needs to provide more than just a never empty ATM machine. He needs to be there to spend "quality time" with his family. And if a wife wants someone that is never around but works all the time so she can drive a new SUV and spend her days at the gym while the kids spend all their time in daycare - her priorities are screwed up too.
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Originally Posted by Mark Larson
Many men have been let go and replaced with women whom employers are much more willing to be flexible with, because a woman who wants to spend time with her family is accepted and is supported.
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I think that's much more rare than you indicate. More often, companies discriminate against hiring women in the first place because they feel that women take more time off for family issues, maternity leave, etc..
But getting back to our topic...
These new tools of instant email and everyone having cell phones can be a great benefit for business. Problems can now get taken care of during off hours before they turn into full blown emergencies. Also, companies that need to provide 24 hour support, but have rare incidents, can do so fare more cost effectively than in the past when they had to pay someone to sit by a phone to wait for a call that almost never happens.
Cellphones, push email, remote computer access... these are all great tools that allow us to squeeze our work and private lives together. It's up to us to find the balance that makes the most sense.
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