Stephanie Murray wrote a piece in the Atlantic about telework and how it benefits workers who engage in a caregiver roll at home. The time saved from a daily commute- perhaps an hour and a half to two hours with parking and entrance to work building- can go toward domestic duties instead of transit wear and tear. And it’s not only the time itself but when the time can be deployed. Once at home, one can manage the day, and jump in as needed to deliver kids to piano or make sure mom gets her meds.
One point she makes here is that not only may telework provide an immidiate benefit to those who presently provide services to their families, but it also may entice others to consider the possibility of combining a day of paid work with unpaid care.
Needless to say a career has always been evaluated to a certain extent in terms of how it affects family life. Those young accountants who were hired by Arthur Anderson Consulting were congratulated for their high wage, yet everyone knew that their personal life would suffer. Often at the transistion from young-unwed-professional to starting-a-family the worker would start to quip about the company’s lack of work/life balance. I don’t know where this term originated, but it should be work/work balance. Work for pay in the labor market or work for family and community in the neighborhood.
One of my children’s elementary school teachers had left a job in mortgage banking to teach. Her new life allowed her to share the same schedule with her children and spend the summers together. There is not only emotional value here but tangibel value is cost of care savings. Before and after school care as well as endless summer camps adds up.
And it is not just a ledger calculation of the dollars coming in as wages and the dollars going out as care. It is an efficiency issue as well. Unless the care is for an infant, much of the work has an on-demand component. Elderly people often don’t need a companion sitting by their side the entire day. At times there’s a need, some days more than others. It’s a job best suited to someone who cares and will be there at important times but also knows when an absense is Ok. It’s best suited to a family member who is not paid by the hour.
This type of labor supports the public sphere and is described in the Categories Explained tab.
Home Economics 