Both Sides of the Work/Family Equation:
Research and Outreach with Families of
Divorce, Single Parents, and Workers with
Highly Demanding Jobs
Sandra J. Bailey, Montana State University
Cynthia J. Schmiege & Sue Traver,
University of Idaho
Anisa M. Zvonkovic & Cheryl J. Peters,
Oregon State University
The Family-Work Equation
W-167 USDA AES Multi-state
Research Project
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Families and work during times of
transition
Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Utah, California,
New Mexico
Objectives:
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Give you a better understanding of
work and family issues facing
families today
A new way of thinking about work
and family
Practical ideas for supporting families
as they manage the various aspects
of their lives
Family Diversity
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Single parents
Stepfamilies
Grandparents raising
grandchildren
Gay/lesbian headed
families
Cultural/religious
variations
Workplace Variations
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Businesses operating late hours/24
hours
Weekend and holiday shifts
Workers with multiple jobs
Commuter marriages
Workers who travel
Telecommuting
Weaving the Worlds of Family and
Work
Weaving Work & Personal Life
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Learning to weave – socialization
Changing the weave – life course
development
Weaving during times of strain and stress
Suggestions Based on Weaving:
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TIME
Reject tips to manage time
Reconsider how we think about time
Reconsider how we think about work
Question norms:
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Of what we feel we must do
Workaholism
Intensive mothering
Creating a Life Pattern
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Protecting our weaving during stress, daily
hassles
Bring in reinforcements
Improvise
Advance notice: weave in new threads
Do not strive to be perfect
Work Side of the Work/Family
Equation: Travel
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How can family facilitate life for the
traveling worker?
In applied work, what are typical struggles
related to job demands?
What are the surprising benefits to
families from demanding jobs?
Women and Frequent Job Travel
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Clear separation between work and family
When home, really home & domestic
When traveling, really not available for
family
Rhythm of travel
Fostered women’s work identity
Encouraged marital partner to accept
women’s work identity
Minimized struggles over family work
A Continuum of Family/Work
Separation
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Flight attendants
 Very separated boundaries
 Traveled frequently
 Short trips
 Very extensively involved in family
except when on trips
 No work obligations at all unless
traveling
A Continuum of Family/Work
Separation
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Nonprofit Aid and Adoption Workers
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Somewhat separated boundaries
Traveled infrequently
Very long trips (one month or more)
Very extensively involved in family except
when on trips
Flexible work obligations when not traveling
A Continuum of Family/Work
Separation
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High Tech Computer Consultants
 Struggle with boundaries
 Traveled moderately
 Medium length trips (1 week)
 Similar to working women in general
 Many work obligations when not traveling
 Work/family boundaries and gender
boundaries were contested
Comparing Men & Women Who
Travel for Work
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Women who travel do much preparation of
the family for their trips
Men are extensively involved in household
during women’s trips
Men who travel experience their family
helping them prepare for trips
Women left at home have power when he
is gone
Take Home Message About Travel
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Type of job matters
Gender matters
Specific demands of job
impact families in different
ways:
 Shift work
 telecommuting
Family Side of the Equation:
Divorced Parents
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Great deal of research on work and family
Little focusing on divorced parents
Nonresidential parents living more than 50
miles from children
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Qualitative
Residential and nonresidential
participating in Extension classes
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Quantitative
Workplace Flexibility
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Sharing workload
Time flexibility
Travel flexibility
Employee benefits
Workplace Understanding
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Loss of a job due to divorce
Performance reviews
Emotional support
Well being and overall life satisfaction
Implications from Studying
Divorced Parents
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Supervisor acknowledgement of family
situation
Importance of social support in workplace
Employer/employee education of
work/family issues relating to divorce
Broadening family friendly policies to
include diverse family structures
Single Parents: The Only Worker
& Often the Only Parent
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Low income single parents
(qualitative)
 Expectation of work, but system
does not support workers
 Children with Special Needs
 Medical Issues
 Aftermath of Family Violence
 Transportation problems
Beginning Dreams: Adolescence
Designs for the Cloth
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“Planful Competence”:
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Plan for family
The Warp threads
Plan for work
Are there any Weft threads?
Crisis In the Dream
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Relationship crisis: Warp threads unravel
Are there any supporting threads?
family support, personal strengths
Are the warp threads damaged?
relationship issues, lack of resources
New Designs
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Work: Can the weft be used
to create a new design?
 Change
and development in
the worker identity
 Belief that both sets of
threads are necessary
 Recognition that the design
has changed
Back to the Yarns
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Warp: families are diverse and the warp
yarns may be of different materials and
strengths
Weft: work has been monofilament yarn,
less flexible and diverse
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Need to add color, diverse fibers to the yarn
Weaving Work and Family
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There are many ways to weave a strong
and beautiful piece of cloth
Not everyone needs the same design
New designs can be formed when we
examine classic designs
Weaving dreams require both
warp and weft yarns