More Than One-Third of Career Moms Would Take Less Pay in Exchange for More Time with Family, According to CareerBuilder.com’s Annual Mother’s Day Survey

Senior Executive and Mother of Three Offers Tips for a Better Work/Life Balance

CHICAGO – May 2, 2005 – Working moms surveyed by CareerBuilder.com say they are having difficulty balancing work and home and may be looking to new employers to help remedy the situation. Thirty-eight percent of working moms say they would take a new job with less pay if it meant they could spend more quality time with their families. One-fourth of working moms would accept a pay cut of over 5 percent and 15 percent of working moms would accept a pay cut of over 10 percent. The CareerBuilder.com survey, "Career Moms 2005," was conducted from April 17 to April 25, 2005 and included more than 225 women, employed full-time, with children under the age of 18 living at home.

Heavy inboxes are cutting into quality time at home. Although the majority of working moms say they spend three or more hours with their children after work, 15 percent spend less than two hours. Forty-four percent of working moms admit to being preoccupied about work while at home and one-fourth say they bring home projects at least one day a week. Nineteen percent report they often or always work weekends.

Nearly one-in-five working moms say their employers do not provide alternate arrangements such as flexible schedules, telecommuting or less travel to enable them to spend more time at home. Forty-four percent have missed at least one significant event in their children's lives due to work in the last year and 18 percent have missed three or more.

"SuperMom is one of the most challenging jobs around," said Mary Delaney, Chief Sales Officer at CareerBuilder.com and mother of three. "While some employers are less accommodating to family needs, others have recognized the importance of a healthy work/life balance. Around three-fourths of working moms say their employers are ok with adjusting schedules for family commitments and that it has not negatively impacted their careers. In fact, one-in-ten said work style adjustments have actually helped with career advancement because they are less stressed and more focused."

Delaney offers the following tips to help working moms gain a healthy work/life balance:

1) Seek Higher Ground. If your employer is not affording any flexibility, a new job may be the answer and it doesn't have to involve a smaller paycheck. Seek out employers who offer competitive compensation and a demonstrated commitment to work/life balance. Often employers will have awards or articles posted on the career sections of their Web sites. It's also a good idea to talk to other working moms at the company about their experiences during the interview process.

2) Keep One Calendar. Schedule business and personal commitments on the same calendar to avoid overbooking yourself. This way you can avoid scheduling a client meeting at the same time as a soccer game or school play and save those vacation days for the big events in your children's lives.

3) Turn Off the Tele. One-in-five working moms say they usually just watch TV with their children after work. While sitcoms and videos can be fun, make time for activities where you are actively engaged with your children. Take a walk, schedule a game night, go to the park, etc.

4) Schedule Dates. Four-in-ten working moms say they spend less time with their children than their parents did with them. Schedule special one-on-one dates with each of your kids to do their favorite activity or start new traditions. And don't forget to set aside a day for your significant other and a day just for yourself.

5) Have No Regrets. Life is not an a la carte menu. Be honest about what you can and can't do at home and manage expectations. Make your choices on where you need to be, recognize you're doing your best and lose the guilt.

Survey Methodology

The new CareerBuilder.com survey, "Career Moms 2005," was conducted from April 17 to April 25, 2005 and included more than 225 women, employed full-time, with children under the age of 18 living at home. Methodology used to collect survey responses for this study involved selecting a random sample of comScore Networks panel members. These Web Panel members were approached via an e-mail invitation, which asked them to participate in a short online survey. The results of this survey are statistically accurate to within +/- 6.50 percentage points (19 times out of 20).

About CareerBuilder.com

CareerBuilder.com is the nation's largest online job network with more than 20 million unique visitors and over 600,000 jobs. Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI), Tribune Company (NYSE:TRB), and Knight Ridder, Inc. (NYSE:KRI), the company offers a vast online and print network to help job seekers connect with employers. CareerBuilder.com powers the career centers for more than 550 partners that reach national, local, industry and niche audiences. These include more than 130 newspapers and leading portals such as America Online and MSN. More than 30,000 of the nation's top employers take advantage of CareerBuilder.com's easy job postings, 11 million-plus resumes, Diversity Channel and more. Millions of job seekers visit the site every month to search for opportunities by industry, location, company and job type, sign up for automatic email job alerts, and get advice on job hunting and career management. For more information about CareerBuilder.com products and services, call 888-670-TEAM or visit http://www.careerbuilder.com.

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