Experts Say Women Should Have Shorter Work Weeks

[BubbaJack]

A new study has revealed what women already knew: Our health is being compromised by long-working hours combined with unpaid domestic duties.

The research, conducted by the Australian National University, shows that the healthy work limit for women is just 34 hours per week versus up to 47 hours per week for men—thanks to the time women lose on domestic and care duties.

But most women with full time positions work much, much more than 34 hour-weeks: Using data from 8,000 adults from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, researchers found that two thirds of Australia's full time employees work for more than 40 hours.

Long work hours erode [people's] mental and physical health, because it leaves less time to eat well and look after themselves properly," Dr Huong Dinh, the lead researcher of the study, writes. "Given the extra demands placed on women, it's impossible for women to work [the] long hours often expected by employers unless they compromise their health."

OECD data from 2016 shows that women do an average of 4.5 hours of unpaid work every day, made up of domestic chores like cooking and cleaning, while men contribute less than half of that time. Add that to the increased expectation of long work hours, and women are walking into their work places at a disadvantage.

Due to Amount of Unpaid Labor, Experts Say Women Should Have Shorter Work Weeks | Broadly

 

[High Fidelity]

This is a bit overreaching, regardless of intentions.

I know if I ever get married that I'll likely be doing a lot more around the house than my wife purely because it's just something I enjoy doing. I take pride in a clean home and have my own way of doing things.

Can I have a shorter work week?

 

[Rajni]

I think both men and women could benefit from a shorter work week.


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[stevevw]

Due to Amount of Unpaid Labor, Experts Say Women Should Have Shorter Work Weeks | Broadly

I did a study on this topic and women are at a disadvantage across a number of areas. Unequal pay, less opportunity to gain work experience because they are at work less, less opportunity for career advancement and promotion because they cannot commit to their jobs. Less financial security and independence because they are at home more and rely on their partners, income. Less independence generally in decision making because the bread winner normally has more say overall. If women end up in divorce they have little to fall back on which makes it harder especially if they end up with the children which is most of the time.

Most of the problem is the need to earn money from ever increasing financial pressure to make a high level of income to pay for the cost of living. House prices are the main cost and where it use to take a single income to buy a house it is now two plus incomes. This forces, couples to both work and unfortunately because men's pay is higher at the moment men become the main wage earner.

It is not just a case of men working less and women working more as it does not always balance out that way where the jobs and income levels are there. So there needs, to be several changes happening for women's situations at the same time as lessening men's hours. Still, I don't believe this is the answer. We should not be forced to have to work so much in the first place. Money is the new god that is ruling people's lives. The need to have material things in a consumer society also causes peoples to have to buy more and more. Maybe we need to get back to some basics of what is really important in life. I also think that the pressure of having to go out and work neglects the time that should be given to bringing up children.

 

[dysert]

I don't think you'd say my wife works less, even though she's retired. She does all of the housework, the cooking, the baking, etc. She puts in a full day as much as I do -- just that she does it at home and not outside the home.

 

[Rajni]

I don't think you'd say my wife works less, even though she's retired. She does all of the housework, the cooking, the baking, etc. She puts in a full day as much as I do -- just that she does it at home and not outside the home.

There's an article on Forbes that estimates how much a stay at home mom would make if she were paid for what she did.

Why Stay-At-Home Moms Should Earn A $115,000 Salary

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[FireDragon76]

Isn't this as much a good argument for traditional gender roles, from the time when women did not have to work outside the home?