Family Feuds
Why do men and women work differently ... at home?
Cecilia Durán
Issue date: 3/1/03 Section: Features
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It's simple biology-boys and girls are different. Scientific studies, physiological or psychological, point out gender differences that propel the war on the sexes. But while there are undisputed biological variances between men and women science still falls short in explaining our differences in the workplace?
A 1999 study found that women work 15 hours more than men do every week. While men and women face similar pressures at work, women by far face ongoing responsibilities once they return home. Cooking, cleaning, and caring for children tacked on extra hours to a women's workday.
The study is just another piece of evidence that whether it's helping with homework, filing taxes or keeping up with birthdays, the functionality of family still falls squarely on women.
Predictably, lower-income families feel the work-family dilemma the most. An employee making time for family risks losing benefits, her position, or her job entirely. But families in higher income brackets are just as vulnerable to the stress of attempting to balance meeting both the boss's expectations and family obligations.
The higher the number of hours demanded by an industry, the more women tend to be squeezed out of the pool. Attorneys, famous for overworking, find a particularly difficult time balancing work and family for the simple reason that while high levels of overtime work threaten family time. The nature of the lawyer's schedule often requires the lawyer to place deadlines, clients' needs or firm at the top of lawyers' priorities.
In the past, men have willingly put in extra hours because for the most part they could count on mostly housebound wives to manage family affairs. But more women entering the legal practice resent being forced to choose between a hard-earned profession and family life. Recent statistics by the US Department of Labor demonstrate that women make up almost 30% of the current legal profession. With more women now applying to law school than men, some predict the legal field will become 50-50 within the decade.
A 1999 study found that women work 15 hours more than men do every week. While men and women face similar pressures at work, women by far face ongoing responsibilities once they return home. Cooking, cleaning, and caring for children tacked on extra hours to a women's workday.
The study is just another piece of evidence that whether it's helping with homework, filing taxes or keeping up with birthdays, the functionality of family still falls squarely on women.
Predictably, lower-income families feel the work-family dilemma the most. An employee making time for family risks losing benefits, her position, or her job entirely. But families in higher income brackets are just as vulnerable to the stress of attempting to balance meeting both the boss's expectations and family obligations.
The higher the number of hours demanded by an industry, the more women tend to be squeezed out of the pool. Attorneys, famous for overworking, find a particularly difficult time balancing work and family for the simple reason that while high levels of overtime work threaten family time. The nature of the lawyer's schedule often requires the lawyer to place deadlines, clients' needs or firm at the top of lawyers' priorities.
In the past, men have willingly put in extra hours because for the most part they could count on mostly housebound wives to manage family affairs. But more women entering the legal practice resent being forced to choose between a hard-earned profession and family life. Recent statistics by the US Department of Labor demonstrate that women make up almost 30% of the current legal profession. With more women now applying to law school than men, some predict the legal field will become 50-50 within the decade.