RebelDad

Posted on 10. Nov, 2005 by Brian Reid in General

Ironically, today’s post is about work-life balance. This is ironic, naturally, because I have had very little balance of late. Those of you who know my dirty little secret (my job), probably also know that, from time to time, I becoming singularly unable to jam everything into the 24 hours I’m allotted.

But I am not alone in my quest. The Gen Y folks who are nipping at my demographic heels (I’m a young Xer) are apparently changing
the rules of the workplace, including work-life balance:

Work-life balance isn’t just a buzz word. Unlike boomers who tend to put a high priority on career, today’s youngest workers are more interested in making their jobs accommodate their family and personal lives. They want jobs with flexibility, telecommuting options and the ability to go part time or leave the workforce temporarily when children are in the picture.

“There’s a higher value on self fulfillment,” says Diana San Diego, 24, who lives with her parents in San Francisco and works on college campuses helping prepare students for the working world through the Parachute College Program. “After 9/11, there is a realization that life is short. You value it more.”

While this is good news (if it’s true, which Slate correctly points out is hardly a given), I’m not sure we should be quoting 24-year-olds who live with their parents as paragons of deep thinking on work-life balance. Surely, USA Today could have found a 24-year-old first-time parent in America negotiating a flex schedule or exploring at-home fatherhood or shared care. Heck, I bet one of you fits the bill.