The Culture of Overwork Takes a Toll on Everyone (Quick Study)

The discussion highlights the pervasive culture of overwork in professional environments, particularly in service firms, where employees face the dilemma of prioritizing work over personal life. This culture creates a perception that those who utilize work-family accommodations are less committed, leading to career derailment, especially for women. The narrative often places the burden of work-life balance on women, suggesting that their family responsibilities hinder their professional advancement.

Research indicates that the expectation of 24-7 availability is not only unrealistic but also detrimental to organizational competitiveness, as it contributes to employee burnout. The conversation emphasizes the need for organizations to critically examine their policies and cultural narratives that perpetuate structural inequalities. By questioning the necessity of constant availability and recognizing the shared struggles of both men and women, firms can work towards creating a more equitable work environment.

The Culture of Overwork Hurts Everyone (Quick Study)

26 Mar 2020

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The standard work/family narrative is an outdated excuse for what holds women back.

Ask people to explain why women remain so dramatically underrepresented in the senior ranks of most companies, and you will hear from the vast majority a lament that goes something like this: High-level jobs require extremely long hours, women’s devotion to family makes it impossible to put in those hours, and so their careers inevitably suffer.

Not so, say the authors, who spent 18 months working with a global consulting firm that wanted to know why it had so few women in positions of power. Although virtually every employee the authors interviewed related a form of the standard explanation, the firm’s data told a different story. Women weren’t being held back because of trouble balancing work and family; men, too, suffered from that problem and nevertheless advanced. Women were held back because they were encouraged to take accommodations, such as going part-time and shifting to internally facing roles, which derailed their careers. The real culprit in women’s stalled advancement, the authors conclude, is a general culture of overwork that hurts both sexes and locks gender inequality in place. To solve this problem, they argue, we must reconsider what we’re willing to allow the workplace to demand of all employees.

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