The Workplace: Parents vs the Childless

As a working parent to two boys I feel I understand the pressures of trying to juggle work and family life. I have, during my children’s lifetime, been in the enviable position of spending their early years at home with them. I did work from home and managed a degree at university but I was still always able to attend my children’s speech days, sports events, assemblies and nativity plays.

It was only when I started working full time post university that I really realised how hard it is to juggle work responsibilities and opportunities with the need to be there for your children. The feeling of being torn between family and work can be quite strong especially when you first start a job and your enthusiasm is at its highest for the job and your guilt of leaving the children is at it’s strongest. But does this mean you are less committed to work and /or a liability, or burden, on your childless colleagues? I can see the temptation for parents to leave early to pick up children or to relieve a child minder, to rearrange start times to see school plays or sports days and to take time off at the drop of a hat if a child is ill or the school closes in an emergency such as heavy snow.

Especially, as in a lot cases, this is allowed by employers, in the spirit of harmonious working relations. But and this is the big but how does this flexibility effect those workers without children? Those without this type of flexible working pattern, do they feel exploited or put upon when their colleagues go early or don’t stay over time to finish work? Do they feel that they work harder and don’t have that dedication recognised? Does it cause problems within the work place that need to be addressed and if so how would we solve it? Would a more flexible working day be better for all parties or would it be impractical for most work environments?

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