As I learn more and more everyday through information gathering and social networking on Twitter and other social media outlets while studying Interdisciplinary Engineering & Management and aspiring to be an entrepreneur, I have given a lot of thought to what I would like to do after graduation. Starting a family is one of my most important goals, and having a work-life balance is something that will certainly prove very difficult for a perfectionist, work-a-holic like myself.

Reading about Whitney, I personally would recommend that she communicate to her boss the struggles she’s having balancing time for her family and how she’s becoming burnt out. Perhaps I am wrong, but I think she is better off losing her job if she is that burnt out and is not passionate about what she is doing.

Changing her job is the best way to go! Stop feeling tied down and overworked and START YOUR OWN BUSINESS! I think she should become an entrepreneur – use her strengths and experience to build a company and be the boss of her own work-life balance. While it is considerably more risk, I think it could be her best route.

In regards to the company that is Whitney’s employer, I’d say not to change their values and requirements. Unless its employees complain and/or start to leave the company, they should probably be okay since I imagine a lot of workers would remain loyal in this economy, as exemplified by Whitney’s difficulties with whether or not to stay.

Maybe Whitney could request time to work from home – I’m not sure this is feasible but it might grant her more time w her family while keeping the company happy as well!

I’m interested in hearing what decision she makes! Please keep us posted.

Many others have already pointed out that many, if not most or all, employers advertise a good “work-life balance.”

I know in my field of work (marketing), the ones who are jetting down the elevator shafts at 5:01 are upper management and older employees, who may not-so-easily remember that an enormous amount of work is being completed after hours by young/junior employees.

I think it is sometimes forgotten that we in the Gen-Why workforce are the ones affording them the luxury of the much-touted “work-life balance.” It’s not that they’re lying or being dishonest: it’s that they’re out of touch with what’s actually taking place in the lower ranks.

This is the no-fun thing to hear: in these types of industries, the harsh reality is hard work until you’re older and have ‘earned’ your work-life balance. And if you don’t agree with this type of heat, it might be time to leave the kitchen.

It sounds like you know what your priorities are. I think:
1. Come up with a few options that would work for both you and your boss (aka. taking a pay cut to allow you to go home at 6pm)
2. Present the ideas to your boss (you never know until you ask and if you have a few options he should see its important to you, you have put thought into it and it doesnt look like you are complaining)
3. …well it depends on what he says. IF yes then great! if no, then you have to decide what to do next. Stay or go.

Family is the most important. If a company fails you still have your family. But a good family will understand a sacrifice for a season as long as you do all you can to make it up to them when you can.

I don’t see it so much as bait and switch, but rather an inability to understand, much less deliver, “work-life balance.” Every recruiter will pay that lip service, and may genuinely mean it. But few corporate leaders would be able to define the term or celebrate examples of it.

Balance begins by selecting a career that is congruent with other aspects of life – relationships, personal interests, health, and spiritual growth. Whitney is so bright and talented, and she’s tuned in to life’s possibilities (partly because of your influence, Eric) to a greater degree than many of her peers. No wonder her discontent is unbearable. She is incapable of self disillusion and unwilling to settle for an empty existence. Unless you can show up each day with a sense of purpose and enjoyment (to offset the pain), it may be time for a new game plan.

I completely understand if you do not want to post this comment as it links to my blog. However, I didn’t really want to give you a 1,000 word answer in a comments section.

Good luck.

Welcome to the real world. Recruiters will frequently sell you a bill of goods. One of the things every job candidate should do is due diligence on the company, department, and people. This is difficult for young people since they don’t have the network that more senior people do. But you should do your best.

You now need to make the best of a poor situation. 10 hours per day sounds about normal for Wall Street. I worked on the street for 20 years and I felt lucky doing 8:30-5:30 most days with a 1 hour 45 minute commute on top of that. Of course when I traveled I was expected to be working 24/7. It was normal to return from a 24 hour overseas flight and arrive at work allegedly fresh the next day.

If you can continue to learn from the job the time spent may be worthwhile. If it is really a drudge it may be better to leave when you can. Be flexible and make sure that you are not getting into a worse situation. I always thought that the best reason to leave a job was that there was something better to more to. One doesn’t always have a choice… but you do.

What can the company do? Probably not much. They need to survive and do everything they can to do so. They also need to retain their best employees. This is a difficult combination to handle and different companies with different needs do it differently. One thing for sure.. they need to be doing business with a high level of integrity. So far they haven’t shown the integrity… that needs to change.

Good luck.

That’s right. Whitney, you have chosen a field that, for as long as I have been in it, has a work hard, play hard mentality. Yes, there is a vague notion of work life balance – it is just calibrated differently. Frankly, 10 hour days just are not that severe (sorry).

Unfortunately you have selected an industry in distress that already has a 12 hour work day DNA.

If this is your passion, and you choose to gut it out, this industry offers rewards for your efforts that few industries can approach.

As a fellow SoCal resident I completely empathize with your plight re work, traffic, home – it’s a challenge. Come to OC to relax some weekend and I’ll buy the cocktails!