Economy Taking a Toll on Work/Life Balance for Dads

June 18, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – CareerBuilder’s annual Father’s Day survey reveals the struggling economy is causing many working dads to experience heavier workloads, added stress, and less time spent with their families.

One in ten working dads said their spouse or significant other has become unemployed in the last 12 months, with half indicating that it is causing stress at home. Forty-two percent of working dads said they are the sole provider for their household, and nearly one-in-ten (9%) have taken on a second job in the last 12 months to provide for their family. 

A CareerBuilder press release said leaner staffs are creating more demands at the office, making it more difficult for working fathers to achieve a healthy work/life balance. Sixty-three percent of working dads said they work more than 40 hours per week.   

Three in ten (31%) working dads who take work home reported they typically bring work home five days a week or more. Thirty percent bring work home on the weekends.   

Nearly four- in-ten (37%) of working dads said they spend two hours or less with their children each work day. More than three-in-ten (35%) reported they missed two or more significant events in their child’s life due to work in the last year.   

“Especially in tough times, working dads have to be more creative and strategic to successfully juggle both work and family commitments,” said Jason Ferrara, VP Corporate Marketing at CareerBuilder, in the press release.  

The survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive on behalf of CareerBuilder among 800 U.S. working dads (employed full-time; not self-employed; non government, with children age 18 or younger living in the household); ages 18 and over between February 10 and March 2, 2010.

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