Does being married or single matter at work (see article)

Question

You know, I read this article, and I find it to be such pile of poo. The two women I work with are constantly leaving the office for various bullsh!t reasons (all related to their kids, of course) while I couldn't even take a lunch this Friday. If I had a kid, I would not work full time, or if I did, I would make d**n sure someone I trusted completely watched my kids - e.g. my mom.

So, I want to know, what kind of stuff (if any) do you, working mothers, get away with at work?

If you don't have children, I'd like to know what your experiences have been at work in re to working mothers.

Thanks

http://msn.careerbuilder.com/custom/msn/careeradvice/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=689&SiteId=cbmsnhp4689&sc_extcmp=JS_689_home1&GT1=23000&cbRecursionCnt=1&cbsid=e0b0cf2ce4dd43f3b20ba235fc72cdc1-271085905-JJ-5

Answer 1

i went back to work 21 hours after having my daughter when she was aged 3 months.

I started a new job and  havent ever left early or had a day off. I dont get anything different from anyone else.

Answer 2

Wow...there is so much animosity here its almost scary...some rightfully so.  I think children should always be number one, when we don't have kids it is easy to say "I would do this or that", but it is not always a reality.  

When someone is gone, someone else typically has to make sure work is getting done.  Part of an employer's responsibility is to make sure work is being handed out fairly, and when it is not the people taking the brunt of the load are compensated.  I feel this is a employer problem, not a working mother problem.  You should be making more than them if working more than them or allowed to take advantage of your "sick days" too.  My husband and I have no children of course many at his work do and often take off for this and that (even though most of them are male this is still the case).  My husbands boss lets my husband use his "sick days" (which include children, spouses and parents) to take our dog to the vet....or even to get her hair cut.  I think this seems fair as the vet and groomers hours are the hours we work....just like pediatricians.

But as a teacher I really don't see this because we have subs.  I know some school districts become concerned when a teacher is gone for long periods of time because these often end up as review days and lost instruction time.  I am lucky enough to be in a district that has wonderful subs, most hold teaching degrees themselves and when not subbing are volunteering or otherwise in the school quite a bit.

Answer 3

i see both sides! yes, parents use it as an excuse not to work! but I have seen many co-workers that are single and suffer from the "brown bag flu" alot. the issue i see is that single "flu" sufferers get dealt with and the parents are aloud to skip out. Honestly, i see it as different cause the "flu" is someone who lacks self control....the parents are taking care of business.  but, i dont want to make up their work either.  the larger picture is that the two income trap in america isnt working.  children need a parent to mold them at home....not be at work forcing others to pick up the slack for them!!!!  

Answer 4

Well, obviously we will have to limit the amount of work that single people can do in order to make it equal for the mothers.

I have two female friends who discriminate against women with kids, they just won't hire them.

I'm my experience the kids can become and excuse,"my child is sick", it's so loaded that nobody is going to call her out, a bit like the girl in school who has her period at 3 o clock every Thursday and the male PE teacher can do nothing but blush and agree to let her sit out the class in the changing rooms week after week.

Answer 5

My experience has been the same as yours. She was always leaving because her kids were suddenly sick, or the husband couldn't pick them up, or she had to take them to boyscouts, etc. etc. etc. So, I was the one who got called in, in the morning, even though I only worked afternoons. I really got sick of it, so I kept the computer on so the phone wouldn't ring. Then I would leave at the time that I was supposed to get there. It was the only way I could break the cycle. She always had some sort of excuse. Of course the boss that that since I don't have kids, naturally I don't have a life. HELLLLLO...I have alot going on in my life, too. But I did it on MY Time, which was in the morning hours. This woman worked in the morning, so I can come in the afternoon, and there was still a problem! Thankfully I am out of that place now. At any rate, I know how you feel.  

Answer 6

My father was expected to be married because he was a senior executive in a multinational company and part of his stuff was to be judged by the kind of wife he had in that she would be expected to accompany him to functions and be a good at-home hostess. This an unspoken, unwritten subsection of his job description, I suppose.

This was because he worked for an international company as an ex-pat.

Kinda weird. This was in the 60s 70s and 80s

So when he got divorced from my Mother he was lucky enough to fall for a marvelous lady who was a terrific hostess and he got promotoed to CEO of an overseas division of said UK/Irish company.

LOL

"Would you like some hors-doevres? Yes. I made them myself"

you're hired - marry me.

EDIT: my lovely step-mother said she perfected the art of the 'fixed-frozen-smile' when sitting for hours at company functions of an evening.

Answer 7

I have two mothers who work for me.  There are certainly times when they will call off because their child is sick or ask if they can leave early because they need to go pick up their kids.  But there are plenty of other times when they come in early, or stay late, or work from home in the evenings to get projects done.

In the end, some people are just more or less committed to their jobs than others.  Kids or no kids.

Answer 8

We have two mothers with babies.  We end up covering for their lack of follow-up and unexplained unavailability when "working from home."   We know it's hard because before the babies came, they were great.  Now, they're just OK.

Answer 9

My mom doesn't get away with anything, but she doesn't have to. She only started working when both my brother and I were in school full-time, and our grandmother lives only a few blocks away. When we needed to get picked up from school for whatever reason, my dad came (because he's the only one who drives).