Gallup surveyed 21,543 U.S. employees and compared their well-being across three primary work environments: remote, hybrid, or on-site, and their findings are worthless.
Gallup missed the mark because they failed to ask a single question about the support they receive at home. How can we expect a complete picture of the quality of a remote or hybrid employee work environment without understanding the home environment?
The world of work has changed since Covid. We need to rethink how we support our modern world, including considerations of the home environment.
With this as background, here is how couples can be a team at home so they can be great at work.
Assessing Spousal Support in Your Home Work Environment
Consider the following questions as a back-of-the-envelope diagnostic for assessing the quality of support you provide one another in a home work environment.
How do you and your partner divide household chores (e.g., cleaning, cooking, laundry)? Please describe any specific responsibilities each person has.
What system do you have in place to manage childcare responsibilities during work hours? How do you adjust this system when unexpected work demands arise for either partner?
Can you detail how you and your partner coordinate work schedules to ensure household duties are evenly distributed? How do you manage overlapping meetings or work commitments?
What arrangements do you have for managing personal time or breaks during work hours?
How do you handle the division of labor for errands and outside-the-home tasks (e.g., appointments, school events)? Who typically takes responsibility for these tasks, and how is this decided?
In what ways do you and your partner support each other’s work-related needs at home, such as setting up a home office or managing interruptions during work hours?
How often do you review and potentially revise your division of labor at home? What prompts these discussions?
How to Create a Home Work Environment in Your Marriage
House Chores: The Ultimate Guide to Divide the Household Labor for Married Couples
Spouse, partner, or roommate -- it doesn't matter. If you both work outside the home, yet one of you does most of the work inside the home, arguments and resentment will unfold.
The case for a fair division of the work needed to manage a home is compelling, and this post shares exactly how this can be done with excellence.
Click here to read the post.
The Ultimate Guide to the Mental Load: What You Need to Know for a Stronger Marriage
Silent resentment. Unpredictable anger. Inexplicable irruptions.
Spouses who do not assume the mental load of managing their homes in their marriages describe these emotions as the origin of some of the spats with their spouses and do not understand where these feelings come from.
Dual-career couples and parents who manage the ceaseless tasks of family life can probably identify with this scenario.
Click here to read the full article or use the table of contents to jump straight to what you want to read.
Overview
Mental Load Definition
Mental Load Examples
How to Explain the Mental Load to Your Husband
Mental Load Calculator
Solutions to Sharing the Mental Load Equitably
Coexist: A Technological Ally in Managing the Mental Load
Fair Play: A Systematic Approach to Equitable Household Management
Moving Forward
Home Management as a Dual-Career Couple: Practical Strategies for Success
Research by Mia Tammelin, examining the time management systems of heterosexual couples, highlights that time, like money, is a valuable resource subject to negotiation and power dynamics within a relationship.
According to her research, couples tend to adopt one of four time management systems: female-managed, male-managed, pooling (shared), or independent.
Click here to review each system.
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