Now eight months pregnant, Deborah still thinks workers with children have an unfair advantage. I don't think it's fair at all. From establishing day care centers and telecommuting to granting leaves of absence and tax breaks, companies and the government have tried to help workers meet the competing demands of a job and family. Stirring public debate about whether accommodations for parents operate at the expense of childless workers, Burkett claims workers without children are sick of picking up slack for colleagues who've got a soccer match or school play that can't be missed. Extra perks, childless employees claim, are only part of the problem.
Life is full of choices, they argue.
And giving parents social advantages implies that parenting is a morally superior decision and undermines the choices made by others. The attitude is that you can reschedule other events, but you can't reschedule your child. But many working parents argue that those without kids don't see the whole picture. People without kids may be judging by face time, but just because I am not physically sitting in the office doesn't mean I'm not doing work. Some companies have begun to notice the tension and started to adapt, by changing their goal from providing for a balance between work and family to work and life.