By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
How working around the clock hurts families
e328379b634718182cb69fbf9104dd57607a3745390a603fc50f14132d5f8466
Maybe lack of family leave time isn't the problem for parents maybe working 24/7 is the problem for parents. - photo by Lane Anderson
Family-friendly policies are meant to help parents especially women balance jobs and family, but recent reports have said that those can backfire encouraging companies to discriminate against women for fear that they will cost the company when they take maternity leave.

Some experts have advised offering family leave to men, not just women, but some researchers are now saying that the problem isn't family-friendly policies, but rather a spike in work hours and the stress of 24/7 work culture.

Jobs that require long hours, travel and checking email at 10 p.m. impacts both moms and dads, says Erin Reid, a Harvard professor who conducted a study of 82 employees at an unnamed top global consulting firm.

"They complained to me of children crying when they missed their soccer games, of poor health and substance addictions caused by how they worked, and of a general sense of feeling 'overworked and underfamilied,' Reid wrote in Harvard Business Review.

While the phenomenon of working moms being passed over for promotions and stunting their careers by taking family leave benefits has received attention recently, it turns out that men don't like working all the time, either.

A majority of male consultants reported that they were "miserable" with the "always-on mentality" that required 60 to 80 hours a week. One consultant told Reid that he had asked for a three-month paternity leave, which he was legally allowed to request thanks to the Family Medical Leave Act. The firm balked at the request even though the leave would have been unpaid.

He said he settled for six weeks of unpaid leave, and was still passed over for a promotion since his supervisors said they "couldn't evaluate his performance with such a big gap."

Over the past four decades, the amount of time that Americans spend at work has surged from 1,836 hours a year, up 9 percent from 1979, according to Current Population Survey data.

The highest earners work the least but high earners between the 60th and 95th percentile worked 2,015 hours in 2013, up 5 percent from 1979. But low-wage workers worked much less at 1.497 a year, but their hours increased more drastically, up 20 percent from 1979.

Unpredictable work schedules, stagnant wages and child care issues create strains for low-wage parents, who can also spend much more time getting to jobs sometimes multiple jobs which translated to time spent away from their families.
Sign up for our E-Newsletters
How to avoid 'sharenting' and other paparazzi parenting habits
ce406c66b9871a104ac24256a687e4821d75680dcfc89d9e5398939543f7f88f
A recent study revealed parents often spend up to two hours staging a single photo of his or her child to post online. - photo by Amy Iverson
Before having kids, some people just dont appreciate their friends baby posts. But after having a child of their own, three fourths of new parents jump right on the parental social media bandwagon. If you have become a member of this group, there are some rules to follow for posting responsibly.

Much of a parents worry is how to teach their children to use social media responsibly. We talk with our kids about privacy, oversharing, and setting restrictions on their devices to keep them safe. But parents themselves need to look in the digital mirror once in a while. Before having children, it doesnt take as much effort to think about what to post online. Its up to us to decide what we share about our own lives. But once you become a parent, there are many questions to think about regarding what is appropriate to post about your kids on social media.

In a recent survey, kids clothing subscription company Mac and Mia surveyed 2000 new parents to find out how they are documenting their kids lives on social media, and what concerns they may have.

First of all, people without children seem to feel a bit differently about the onslaught of baby pictures online than those who are parents. 18 percent of people say before they had kids, they were annoyed by their friends baby posts. But after having children of their own, 73 percent admit they post progress pictures of their little ones every single month.

Not only are new parents letting the world know each time their baby is a month older, but they are posting about their kids every few days or so. Men and women report they post 6-7 times per month about their baby.

And while 70 percent of new parents say the benefit of using social media is how easy it is to help family and friends feel involved, there are some downsides. Here are a few tips to avoid the pitfall of becoming paparazzi parents.

Dont miss the moment

In the Mac and Mia survey, some parents admitted to spending up to two hours to get the perfect shot of their baby. That seems a little extreme. New and old parents alike should be careful about spending so much time taking pictures and videos that they dont enjoy the moment. Years ago, I decided to never live an experience through my phone. A study by Linda Henkel, a psychology professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, found that when people took pictures of objects in an art museum, they didnt remember the objects as well as if they simply observed them.

This photo-taking impairment effect can happen to parents as well. If we are so consumed by getting the perfect photo, we can miss out on the moment all together, and our memory of it will suffer.

Dont forget about privacy

60 percent of couples say they have discussed rules and boundaries for posting their babys photos, according to the Mac and Mia survey. Even so, men are 34 percent more likely to publish baby posts on public accounts. If parents are concerned about their childrens privacy, keeping photos off of public accounts is a given.

In the Washington Post, Stacey Steinberg, a legal skills professor at the University of Florida, and Bahareh Keith, a Portland pediatrician, wrote that sharing too much information about kids online puts them at risk. They write that all that sharenting can make it easier for data thieves to target out kids for identity theft. Check that your privacy settings are where they should be and never share identifying information like full names and birth dates.

Dont be paparazzi parents

36 percent of parents say they take issue when their childs photo is posted online by someone else. Responsible social media users will always ask permission before posting a photo of another child. But parents should also think about whether their own children will take issue with their own posted photos a few years down the road.

When parents are constantly snapping pictures and throwing them on social media, it can be easy to forget to pause and make sure the post is appropriate. I always use the billboard example with my kids. I ask them to picture whatever they are posting going up on a billboard in our neighborhood. If they are okay with that, then their post is probably fine. Parents should ask themselves this same question when posting about their children. But they should also ask themselves if their child would be OK with this post on a billboard in 15 years. If it would cause embarrassment or humiliation, it might be best to keep it private.

Once children reach an appropriate age, parents should include them in the process of deciding what pictures are OK to post. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 10- to 17-year-olds and found children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should. The kids in the survey said sharing happy family moments, or accomplishments in sports, school and hobbies is fine. But when the post is negative (like when a child is disciplined) or embarrassing (think naked baby pictures or messy hair), kids say to keep it off social media.
Latest Obituaries