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- Senior Career Advisor and Father of Three Offers Tips for a Better Work/Life Balance -
Don't be surprised if you see more dads on the playground with the kids during the workday. According to a new CareerBuilder.com survey, 37 percent of working dads say they'd leave their jobs if their spouse or partner made enough money to support the family. If given the choice, another 38 percent would take a pay-cut to spend more time with their kids. The CareerBuilder.com survey, "Working Dads 2007," was conducted from February 15 to March 6, 2007 and included 1,521 men, employed full-time, with children under the age of 18 living at home.
Nearly one-in-four (24 percent) working dads feel work is negatively impacting their relationship with their children. Forty-eight percent have missed a significant event in their child's life due to work at least once in the last year and nearly one-in-five (18 percent) have missed four or more.
According to the survey, the time working dads spend on work far exceeds the time spent with their children. More than one-in-four (27 percent) working dads say they spend more than 50 hours a week on work and nearly one- in-ten (8 percent) spend more than 60 hours. In terms of the time they spend with their children, one-in-four (25 percent) working dads spend less than one hour with their kids each day. Forty-two percent spend less than two hours each day.
While more companies today are offering various programs and options to promote work/life balance, some working dads say their employers are lacking in this area. Thirty-six percent of working dads say their company does not offer flexible work arrangements such as flexible schedules, telecommuting, job sharing and more.
Richard Castellini, Vice President of Consumer Marketing at CareerBuilder.com and father of three, offers the following tips to help dads gain a healthy work/life balance:

  1. Keep in touch -- While you're at work, make a quick call in between
     meetings and projects and let your children know they're top of mind.

  2. Plan a kid-friendly potluck -- If co-workers in your department have
     kids, ask your boss if you can have a kid-friendly potluck for lunch on
     a Friday.  Not only does this allow the kids to spend extra time with
     you, but it also gives the employees in your department time to get to
     know each other better.

  3. Give Your Undivided Attention -- When you're at home spending time with
     your family, turn off your cell phone, step away from the e-mails and
     give your undivided attention.  If you bring work home, do it after the
     kids have gone to bed.

  4. Keep one calendar -- Schedule baseball games and play recitals on the
     same calendar you use for meetings and travel to make sure you never
     double-book yourself.  Save your vacation days for those special events
     in your children's lives, so you're there and in the front row.

  5. Make time -- At least once a week, schedule a family activity that
     involves interaction such as a game, bike ride, trip to the playground,
     etc.  Also, make sure to schedule a date night for you and your
     significant other.

Web site: http://www.careerbuilder.com/

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