Organizational Problems: Conflict Between Balance and Career Advancement
Four percent of the comments given by respondents dealt with the conflict employees felt between achieving balance and advancing in their career. According to this group of Canadians, these goals were mutually exclusive because:
Reading the comments below, one is struck by how many Canadians feel that they are in a no-win situation - either advance in their career or have a meaningful life outside of work. It is interesting to note that women were substantially more likely than men to talk about a conflict between balance and career advancement.
Strategy of putting family ahead of work hurts career advancement
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I made the decision when my children were young to put my professional career on hold. Now that my children have grown, the organization has decided that I am too old to spend the effort and time on career development. ”
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My colleague who does the same job as me is single with no dependants. She is very competitive and constantly strives to make herself look more valuable to the company than I am. I therefore feel pressured to put in extra time and effort - at the expense of myself and my family - to keep up with her. If I don't do this, I believe I will not get competitive raises and will be at risk of some day losing my job. ”
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Career development activities often make it more difficult to meet family demands
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In order to advance in my career I need to further my education, which would definitely interfere with the time I have available for my family - which is not enough as it is! Guess I have to stay where I am. ”
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Young, single employees or those with no children have a real advantage when it comes to career advancement, as they are able to take advantage of educational opportunities and support. Those with children, especially young children, have their hands full and are therefore limited in career opportunities/advancements. Coordination of family/work makes furthering education almost impossible. ”
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Time crunch negatively affects career advancement
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I've been advised by my director not to try for an upcoming competition if I'm not willing to put in extra hours of unpaid overtime, even though he feels I'm qualified to do the job. ”
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Career advancement requires an inordinate commitment of time, especially in management positions. This even applies to low-level line management/supervisors. This makes balance difficult, if not impossible, if you want any kind of family life. ”
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Normal family life with two young kids is more and more demanding; the rat race is competitive and without mercy. Bachelors or DINKs [dual income, no kids] are at an advantage, with more time to work and focus on a job. Since this is what gets you ahead in this company, it makes all the talk about work-life balance a farce. ”
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Career advancement often depends on relocation, which is difficult to do in families where both partners are working
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My organization continues to think in terms of physical location for work assignments. This limits my development opportunities, as I'm not able to relocate due to my husband's work/career. ”
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