Longer work hours generally are employer-imposed, Drago said. But he sees hope in the aging of the work force. Baby boomers dominate this economy, and they re getting older, which generally means they ll slow down. Technology, the global economy, and the acquisitive nature of US society the equation that status and material goods equal success are causing managerial workers and professionals to work longer hours. It s individual aspirations, said Hammonds, who previously covered work-life issues at Business Week.
People think about work as a way to get somewhere.
Families would not be painfully stretched if only one adult were working four more hours per week. Backup child care, concierge services at work, and child care for sick kids help parents and all employees, Drago said. But they also disguise the real problem namely, that many workers, on many days, feel they need to be two places at once. Ninety-one percent of people surveyed by Fast Company want to make their personal life more of a priority. Poor health may force them to do just that.