Wednesday, September 7, 2011 Is the chore-life balance equal for men and women?
Work-life balance is a hot topic in any workplace these days. Bader Rutter, in particular, tries to make sure associates have a balanced lifestyle and take time to relax together. Case in point: we just had a company picnic at the Milwaukee County Zoo so the team and their families could kick back and have a little fun.
But, balance in the home is a whole other ballgame. For years, the media and women’s book clubs have perpetuated the idea that working women do twice as much as their male counterparts when accounting for chores at home. However, according to an August TIME cover story, “Chore War,” men are now pulling their weight – at work and at home.
One can imagine the heated discussions that were ignited when I brought up this article with several of my coworkers – men cheering, of course, and women refuting the article’s theory.
How household chores are managed and divided can be a contentious part of a relationship. Think about your last fight over who had to take out the garbage. In a 2007 poll conducted by the Pew Research Center, 62 percent of married adults said sharing household chores was the third most important ingredient in a successful marriage – up from 47 percent in a comparable study from 1990.
Of course, each family situation varies, but there is no question that times are changing. For example, as I write this blog, my husband is cleaning the kitchen from the dinner he made (I did the laundry, for the record).
I certainly have more help around the house than my grandmother would have ever imagined. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, men and women in 2010 who were married, childless and working full time had combined daily totals of paid and unpaid work that were almost exactly the same: 8 hours, 11 minutes for men and 8 hours, 3 minutes for women.
So, with the statistics showing equal honey-do lists, why do women feel that we are doing more at home? The article says a big differentiator is how you’re spending your time – men stay at the office longer and women do a little more at home (my relationship is opposite).
Does your work-life balance affect your share of the chores? Or is the distribution of household tasks determined by something else entirely? Regardless of your answer, I’m betting you’ll think twice next time the trash needs to be taken to the curb!
Reader Comments (1)
Haha I love the cover! So, is the chore-life balance equal for men and women? I guess so. It's just that there are cases when men and women switch roles. The mom works while the dad takes care of the baby. I think it's still balanced. Hmmm.