Chapter 10 Homework Some Those Countries Have Responded Very Low

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Chapter 10: Work and Family

Chapter 10

Work and Family

Table of Contents

Page No. in the IM

Chapter Outline

1

Chapter Objectives

2

Lecture Notes and Teaching Suggestions

2

Key Facts (and Associated Questions)

3

as Discussion Points

Questions to Consider (End of Chapter)

6

Actions and Exercises

7

Suggested Test Questions

9

Chapter Outline

1. Introduction and Overview

2. History of Work and Family

4. Population, Participation, and Education

6. Flexible Schedules

8. Same-Sex Couples in Family Relationships

10. Beyond the Family: Society, Organizations, and Family Issues

12. Elder Care

14. Recommendations for Individuals

16. Summary

18. Questions to Consider

19. Actions and Exercises

Chapter Objectives

After completing this chapter, readers should have a greater understanding of work and

family as an aspect of diversity. Specifically, they should be able to:

• explain changes in workforce participation rates for women with children.

• discuss legislation and litigation related to work and family.

• compare parental policies in the United States with those in selected other

countries.

Lecture Notes and Teaching Suggestions

This chapter concerns the intersection of work and family issues, which are increasingly

important as more women work throughout their adult lives, the meanings and

perceptions of “family” evolve, the career costs of having children continue to differ for

men and women, and employers attempt to help employees deal with combining work

and family. The chapter particularly focuses on the negative effects of having children on

women’s career progress, earnings, and full-time work status and organizational

measures to reduce those negative effects, and the positive relationship between having

children and men’s career progress and earnings. The chapter also discusses the increase

in the number of grandparents caring for children; diversity concern regarding partner

benefits; and the relationship among society, organizations, and family.

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Chapter 10: Work and Family

Key Facts (and Associated Questions)

Questions following each “Key Fact” are helpful in stimulating class discussion.

(Selected key facts include discussion points in this Instructors’ Manual. Instructors may

choose different ones to emphasize depending on the needs/interests of students and

instructors). Instructors may wish to have students formulate questions of their own that

are relevant to the key facts and use them for class discussion.

• Since 1975, labor force participation of U.S. women with children under age 18 has

increased from 47% to 71%. Nearly 76% of single women with children participate

in the labor force.

Question: What factors are affecting this increased participation?

• On average, working mothers experience a 5% wage penalty per child.

Question: What contributes to this wage penalty?

This wage penalty is probably partially a result of perceptions that women with

children are less committed to work, more distracted by children, and generally less

• Women spend 17 years caring for children and 18 years caring for aging parents,

primarily during their prime working years.

Question: What are the federal legislation acts that are particularly significant to

working women and family issues?

The Equal Pay Act of 1963 is significant for all working women and their families.

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Chapter 10: Work and Family

• About half of employees are not covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act

(FMLA).

Question: What factors influence whether the FMLA covers one or not?

• Availability and use of work–family support policies are related to employees’ job

satisfaction, commitment, and intent to stay with their organizations.

Question: Provide evidence to support this fact.

Both parents and those without children or experiences with work and family

conflicts appreciate the organizational support provided by work–family policies.

• Over 2.7 million grandparents, the majority of whom are employed, have primary

responsibility for their grandchildren under age 18.

Question: Explain the term “parenting again.”

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Chapter 10: Work and Family

• Although they have fewer support mechanisms than parents, employed

grandparents caring for their grandchildren experience work and family concerns

that may be more difficult than those experienced by parents.

Question: How do work and family issues for grandparents caring for their

grandchildren differ from work and family issues for parents caring for their

children?

Grandparents experience some of the same work and family issues as parents, such

Selected Items for Instructor Consideration as Discussion

Points

1. Table 10.3: Access to Flexible Schedules for Full-Time Wage and Salary Workers

by Selected Characteristics

The most striking points from Table 10.3 are as follows:

a. Overall, 28.1% of men and 26.7% of women work in jobs with flexible scheduling.

2. Table 10.5: Selected Characteristics of Family Policies in Selected Countries

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Chapter 10: Work and Family

This table shows family policies of several developed countries, including Canada, the

United Kingdom, the United States, the Netherlands, Norway, Italy, Russia, Sweden, and

Australia. When compared with those countries, family policies in the United States seem

Questions to Consider (Feature 10.1):

1. What employment-related problems for working women may be caused by

perceptions that women aspire to be “stay–at–home moms”?

2. What specific recommendations would you make to an organization for it to attract,

motivate, and retain women and men with child and elder care issues? How would

you convince the organization that implementing these recommendations would be

a good idea?

Students’ answers will vary. Students may suggest that employers should avoid

Questions to Consider (End of Chapter)

1. Why do you think perceptions are so pervasive and persistent that women do not

work or are uncommitted workers when they do work? Do you know women who

are uncommitted workers? Do you know men who are uncommitted workers? Do

you know women and men who are highly committed workers? Consider similar

questions about perceptions of women and men as incompetent.

2. Negative perceptions about the competence of women who are mothers were

evident in the research and the court cases discussed in the chapter. What factors

contribute to these negative perceptions?

3. Carefully review the comparisons of workers’ access to flexible schedules by race,

ethnicity, and sex in Table 10.3. What clear differences exist?

4. What are some possible reasons for state-subsidized K–12 and college education

but not child care in the United States compared with other developed nations?

The perception that child care is a mother’s responsibility influences the lack of

Actions and Exercises

1. Interview two working parents with children under 12 (if applicable, answer one set

of these questions yourself). Ask questions related to work and family, such as who

provides child care after school hours (or all day, if required), how having children

affects their work, how their employer reacts to child-related absences, and so forth.

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Chapter 10: Work and Family

What are the age, race, and sex of each interviewee? Compare the answers of both

interviewees and document your findings.

Students’ answers will vary. Through careful analysis of the interview, students

2. If you know a grandparent who is responsible for his or her grandchildren,

interview that person and ask the same questions as in question 1 above. Document

and compare your findings for both parents and the grandparent.

Students’ answers will vary. Grandparents are likely to have less flexibility at work

3. Search the EEOC website (http://www.eeoc.gov) for the most recent pregnancy

discrimination cases. Summarize the most egregious case and settlement. What

kind of organization was involved? How might the situation have been avoided?

Student’ answers will vary. However, students may mention two key legislations in

4. Investigate and document the work–family programs of three organizations,

including your current employer or an organization for which you’d like to work.

How are they similar and different?

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Chapter 10: Work and Family

5. Prepare a presentation to convince an employer to offer family-friendly programs.

Include impacts on absence, turnover, organizational commitment, job satisfaction,

and other relevant items. What else should you include?

6. Conduct research (library, Internet, or estimates from users of the relevant services)

to construct a table containing the following information for the city in which you

live:

a. Annual costs of care for a child under age 5

b. Annual costs of care for a school-aged child between 5 and 11 needing after-

Students often find this to be a fascinating exercise. Students see how expensive