Jezebel 
Enter your username and password.
New York, 3:00 PM
Tue Dec 22
61 posts in the last 24 hours
Tip your editors:
Editor-in-Chief:
Anna Holmes
| Twitter
Deputy Editor:
Dodai Stewart
| Twitter
Senior Contributing Editor:
Tracie Egan Morrissey
| Twitter
Contributing Editors:
Anna North
| Twitter
Sadie Stein
| Twitter
Reporter:
Irin Carmon
| Twitter
Editorial Assistant:
Margaret Hartmann
| Twitter
Contributors:
Rich Juzwiak
Email | Twitter
Latoya Peterson
Email
Jenna Sauers
Lizzie Skurnick
Interns:
Katy Kelleher
Twitter
Weekends/Commenter Moderator:
Hortense
| Twitter
Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.
07/14/09
But Jack Welsh probably had to sacrifice too -- I'm willing to bet he didn't make it to many ball games when his kids were little, the same way my mom (who did take time off to have kids but jumped back in soon after) was never the Room Mother or the Girl Scout Leader or any of those things.
I really don't think you can become a CEO without giving 100%. And I don't think you can give it 100% without sacrificing something else.
07/14/09
All this to say, there's nothing wrong or unfeminist about recognizing that the modern corporate environment needs to change to better accommodate human flourishing. That we think of workaholism as a "choice" frankly only indicates how completely corporate America has managed to rewrite and control the dialogue. It should NOT be a foregone conclusion that business "progress" requires human sacrifice. Working hard and destroying souls are two very different things. I don't see any problem with pointing out that some choices have significant negative social externalities, and for that reason should be eliminated (or, if you want to be more libertarian about it, those choices should be negatively subsidized to account for those externalities).
07/14/09
07/14/09
I've seen the way HR looks at those gaps in a resume. You see "being a mother" they see "always late for work needs extra days off doesn't show up when the baby is sick distracted during meetings uses company time for personal issues".
07/14/09
07/14/09
All of this makes me never want to get married or have children.
07/14/09
07/14/09
07/14/09
You know, it is a blaming distraction for anyone to blame bearing children as the reason women don't get promoted. Even if a woman does not have children or doesn't marry, her chances of getting on the C level is very low and on a board, even lower. But it distracts and blames women and puts men like Welch off the hook to get people (men and women) to blame the lack of women on "choices."
Second, what IF a woman devotes a big chunk of her life to getting promoted and does not spend time or as much time on her family as society thinks she should? If she gets promoted, she deserves it. Especially on the top levels, if you devote a ton of time, you deserve it. If you spend hours in the gym, the practice field, hitting the books, etc...you deserve the rewards and if someone can't or won't do that, they don't deserve to the rewards as much as someone who does. Men on the top levels do give up a lot, except society doesn't give them as much crap for it - for hiring nannies and helpers and having a helper wife. But they do give up something for the C level jobs - a good chunk of their lives and being on call 24/7. Not every job should require this, but I don't support the call to "even things out" for those who can't or won't devote themselves for the top jobs. If you do the time and devotion, you should get the prize. At this time, don't forget, don't blame: even women who give up aren't getting an equitable share of the top spots and they'd have us blame this solely on motherhood's choices. And it ain't the case. The childfree women also have an incredibly hard time rising to the top spots. Bias, not time off, is the reason. Let's not be distracted by Welchy.
07/14/09
So in that sense I agree with Stone.
07/14/09
And making a family-oriented choice may put someone at a disadvantage with others who make a different choice. I'm a first waver and saw that happen to a lot of women. They may not call it the mommy track anymore, but it's still there and in many cases it still doesn't lead to the same place as the non-mommy track. Choice does have consequences. Whether it should is another question, but the reality is that it does.
07/14/09
07/14/09
This bothers me. If a woman wants a man who will share equally in parenting responsibilities she should marry a man who believes in that and wants that as well. Part of changing things will be changing the dynamics of our relationships as well. Before a couple has children it shouldn't just be assumed that the woman will take on all the responsibility. If you are carear driven and looking to stay in the workforce as much as possible then maybe it makes sense to have a baby with someone who is willing to take a break from their job. It amazes me how many of my male friends with children tell me that they would love to be home with their kids like I am with mine.
07/14/09
I completely agree and said the same thing. I think when it comes to careers and family, one of those conversations couples need to have is the whole balance between work and family. We all have different lines but if you want to work and need support at home, then it makes sense to seek a partner who understands your desires and ambitions.
07/14/09
07/14/09
when i read that, all i thought about was jon gosselin saying at the end of his marriage ""I'm only 32 years old...I don't know what's going to happen" except that what is happening is that you have 8 kids and you're traipsing off with a 22 year old girlfriend - but hey! you're a guy! you're in a consequence-free zone, right? and you're not even a ceo! you're not even away from your kids for "work purposes"..you're just away from them to hang out in the south of france with your twenty-something girlfriend. no biggie.
07/14/09
07/14/09
Choices are important, but society-wide changes are vital as well.
07/14/09
07/14/09
07/14/09
07/14/09
07/14/09
07/14/09
07/14/09
07/14/09
"It is doubtful that Welch would be swayed by that argument, however. He calls people who continually struggle with balance: ''work-life moaners.""
Well, it's easy not to moan when you don't give a damn about anything other than work. The article mentions how his first wife, Carolyn, raised his children alone. What a great dad!