Having a proper work-life balance is one of the most important factors for employees everywhere. However, what that looks like and whether it’s even feasible, will depend a lot on the industry. Having the flexibility to work remotely can help with that. Though, in other cases, it doesn’t much soften the workload.
Redditor u/Spirited-Ambassador5 sparked a lively debate on the r/AskWomen subreddit after asking the women who earn six-figure annual incomes while working from home about what they do and what their personal life looks like. Many high-earners were happy to spill the tea. Scroll down for their stories and for a dash of inspiration that it’s possible to build a career even remotely when more and more bosses are trying to get their employees back in the office.
Bored Panda wanted to get to grips with how employees might convince management that remote work suits them better, so we reached out to workplace expert and bestselling author Lynn Taylor. She is the author of ‘Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant' and runs a popular blog on Psychology Today.
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#21
Higher education management. I go to the office when I feel like it and stay home when I feel like it. I make around $130K and work standard full time office hours so my work life balance is really good.
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10points
The thread was incredibly refreshing. The women were very open about the hours that they work, as well as how they feel that this affects their personal lives. The average employee in the US worked around 34.3 hours per week in July 2023, according to Statista. Meanwhile, the average in 2022 was 34.5 hours per week.
The female redditors who took part in u/Spirited-Ambassador5’s discussion worked a very wide range of hours. Some would work below this average, others would pull double the number of hours because of how demanding their jobs are. Similarly, everyone was very open about their work-life balance. While some redditors were enjoying how much freedom and flexibility remote work offered them, others put it bluntly that their main priority was work and work alone.
#22
Engineering Manager at big tech company. I make $400k a year. I don’t know what life and balance are. Just work.
10points
#23
I work in healthcare and work remotely. About $110-$130K with bonuses. My work-life balance is now awesome, I usually take Friday afternoons off and work about ~6ish hours each day. Sometimes it gets more hectic than that. When I was building my career, I had zero work-life balance. I worked full-time while pursuing a PHD and raising a child. I have worked every major holiday more than once, as a salaried employee not hourly so I didn’t make any more money. Rarely took any time off etc. Now I am just very good at what I do and do it faster and more efficiently than most.
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9points
#24
I work in management/strategy in tech. Some days are crazier than others, but I make it clear that nights/weekends are my own. So far, so good.
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9points
#25
Work in tech. Always been remote: nearly 20 years. Sometimes it gets crazy, but generally, I get to shut off my "array" and put on my chef's hat by 6:30. Can't complain.
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8points
#26
Director of analytics, strategy, pricing for manufacturing.
Balance is ebb and flow. Lots of clean laundry unfolded in baskets, dinner typically homemade, there to meet school bus I the afternoon but struggle to make time to do home work, daycare pick, make dinner all in the evening. Hubby works opposite way from daycare after taking a new job and is also working similar hours but has the added time requirement of a commute.
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7points
#27
SaaS technical writer here. Work/life balance is excellent, I work Mon-Thu full days and a half-day on Fridays. My workload is full but it's not often that I feel a lot of pressure or stress.
My husband also works remotely so we get to spend a lot of time together. I mostly work from home though sometimes my husband and I can take longer trips interstate while working, e.g. rent an Airbnb in another city for a bit or work from our campervan.
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7points
#28
Associate Creative Director at an ad agency. Work life balance is the best it has ever been honestly, I absolutely adore working from home and am lucky that my company is a big proponent for a healthy work life balance
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7points
#29
I’m a counselor and I barely work and I basically have the easiest life imaginable 🥴
5points
#30
I'm in IT, I work in project and people management.
I struggle with working remote, but they closed my local office so I didn't have any choice. I find it very hard to separate my work brain and my family brain and the physical proximity of my work space to my living space is part of that. I've gotten better at separating them but it still creeps into my mental space!
I struggle with working remote, but they closed my local office so I didn't have any choice. I find it very hard to separate my work brain and my family brain and the physical proximity of my work space to my living space is part of that. I've gotten better at separating them but it still creeps into my mental space!
On the plus side, it makes it a lot easier to keep on top of housework - but I do all this first thing in the morning because otherwise it stresses me out and I find it hard to concentrate on work. My house is spick and span before I go to work for the day!
It also makes the school run a bit easier, and I have an awesome espresso machine, and a WFH husband who makes the coffee for me! And, the final perk is I built a home gym so I am able to work out at lunchtime.
All in all, it's about 50/50. If I had an office to RTO to, I think I'd be fine as well. But I've learned to appreciate the good in WFH as well as try to mitigate the negatives.
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4points