The balancing act:
work v life

The pressures

The core agenda with work-life balance issues is still the family. And despite all the improvements in equality between the sexes, this is still largely perceived as an issue for women rather than men.

But times are changing. Mothers still take the greater responsibility for childcare but are also more likely to have paid jobs than ever before. Seven out of ten women of working age now have jobs, and half of mothers with children aged under five are in work. Today's women are breadwinners.

Men and women are both taking on multiple roles. Men are doing more of the care responsibilities (according to the Equal Opportunities Commission, a surprising 36% of couples say that the man is the main carer) and women are working more. Polls show that fathers feel they are missing out on time with their children.

With people living longer, more workers are experiencing care demands on elderly relatives as well as children. The fact that women are now having children later in life means that they may end up facing caring responsibilities for both ends of the age spectrum.

The attitude of female workers has also changed. Women are growing more ambitious as they become key players in the world of work, contributing to major company successes. Whether you're a Martha Lane Fox or a Marjorie Scardino, the impact of the female boss is considerably more powerful than ever before.

The pressure for women to achieve drives them to work harder and for longer, especially when wanting to prove themselves against their male counterparts.