The modern labor market has faced many problems, including the difficulty of finding the right balance between work and family. Remote work, which was popularized in 2020, only made it more difficult to distinguish between working hours and non-working hours. How can you avoid "bringing your work home" when your workplace has become your home?

Remote work has its perks, such as sweatpants! However, it can be difficult to set boundaries between professional and family responsibilities. According to a study published in Personnel Psychology December 20,22, dual-earner families are particularly affected by these blurred boundaries.

It turns out that working from home can have more benefits than being WFH. You may be the former if you are currently identifying as such, but science can help you now and again.

What Does WFH Mean for the H?

Two separate experiments were conducted by Ohio State University researchers in China and South Korea. Participants in the first study were 165 married, dual-earner couples who had at least one child. The second study was focused on 57 couples who were both dual-earners and those without children.

Participants were asked to complete two surveys per day for 14 consecutive working days. These surveys were used to determine participants' WFH status, as well as the number of family tasks completed.

Emotional and mental metrics were also collected in the surveys. These included how guilty participants felt about their employers or families and how withdraw they felt from them. Based on these responses, researchers measured participants' perceptions of family-work and work/family conflicts.

WFH's Influence on Intra/Interrole Conflict

Both studies showed that wives and husbands were able complete more family tasks from home than their counterparts working in offices. This also led to greater intra- and cross-role conflict, psychological withdrawal and guilt.

Interrole conflict is when people have multiple roles and their obligations and expectations are not the same. A wife who works from home might miss family time because she is working on weekends. This is called work-family conflict (WFC).

Intrarole conflict is when one's beliefs about the obligations and responsibilities of a role are not in line with their actual responsibilities. This could be a husband's inability or unwillingness to decide which way is best to support his family. This is called a family-work conflict (FWC).

It can be hard to distinguish between home and work when the dining room and office are suddenly combined. This can lead to confusion and tension in the household.

A Household with Unbalanced WFH

It is not surprising that family tasks are easier to complete at home than at work. It's much easier to do laundry or load the dishwasher when you live just a few steps from your office.

What is remarkable is the fact that husbands who worked at home reported doing fewer family tasks than when they were in the office. However, the opposite was true. Even though husbands worked remotely, women said they completed more family tasks than their husbands.

Both studies also found that wives who work at home felt more guilty about not being able to do housework or spend time with their families than those who worked in an office. Only one study reported this type of emotional response by husbands.

What does this mean for your home office?

Summary: Wives in dual-income households tend to shoulder the majority of familial responsibilities, on top of their professional responsibilities. WFH deals seem to favor husbands, as wives tend to take on more household chores and tasks.

This disparity between weaponized incompetence, statistics that show women doing 1.26 hours more household chores per hour than men is something we've never seen before. Many women knew the reason they were receiving the fuzzy end from the WFH lollipop long before they read the study.

This study may not be representative of your reality. The study was small and focused on one family and relationship. This study is a validation for many wives that they are not insane, they are overworked and something needs to be done.

It can be difficult to learn how to manage each member of the household. Your partner should be able to take the reins when necessary. If not, Dr. Jenn Mann, a family therapist, has helpful advice on communicating with "man-child” husbands.

It is hard enough to find the perfect work-life balance. Your partner should support you, not hinder.

-----------------------------------

By: M. Davis-McAfee
Title: Study Shows How Women Get The Short End Of The Stick In WFH Situations With Their Spouses
Sourced From: www.suggest.com/study-working-from-home-spouse-family-responsibilities/2716576/
Published Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2023 12:45:00 +0000

Read More