Research and Programs on Time, Technology, Work, and Family
Did You Know That…?
- The United States has the dubious distinction of all industrialized nations of most working days per year—3 weeks more than the Japanese, 6½ weeks more than the British, and 12½ weeks more than the Germans—all hardworking, productive countries.
- Work is experienced by many as more hectic and demanding: Almost half of employees feel often or very often overworked, overwhelmed by the amount of work they had to do, or unable to step back and reflect their work.
- 64 to 78 percent of married couples with children are dual earner couples, and 75% of dual earner couples work full time.
- 63 percent of vacationing workers had contact with their main office through cell phone, pagers, voicemail, and laptops.
Take Back Your Time Day at the Ackerman Institute
Take Back Your Time is a national consortium of scholars, grassroot community organizers, and religious institutions whose mission is to raise awareness of the problems of overwork and overscheduling in our society. Since 2003, October 24 has been observed nationwide as Take Back Your Time Day—a day to take a few hours off work (or the whole day!) to reflect on the impact on our lives of over—packed, over-extended work schedules, and to commit to making personal and community-based changes to take back time for our families, our communities, and ourselves. Dr. Fraenkel is a board member of Take Back Your Time, and since 2004, Ackerman has provided Take Back Your Time evenings on October 24, with a presentation by Dr. Fraenkel and opportunities for group discussion.
Community-Based Programs on Balancing Work and Family Time
Dr. Fraenkel and other staff of the Center also provide workshops of various lengths on the topic of creating a better balance between work and family life. There are workshops for therapists and other health professionals, as well as for individuals, couples, and families. Workshops are held both at the Institute and in the community. A new initiative of the Center is to reach out to local churches and synagogues to present a workshop called Ten Timely Tips to Taking Back Your Time.
References:
- Bond, J. T., Galinsky, E., & Swanberg, J. E. (1998). The 1997 national study of the changing workforce. New York: Families and Work Institute.
- Fraenkel, P. (2003). Contemporary two-parent families: Navigating work and family challenges. In F. Walsh (Ed.), Normal family processes (3 rd ed.) (pp. 61-95). New York: Guilford.
