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FINAL SCRIPT OPEN: LIFE IS CHANGING AND WE ALL FEEL THE PRESSURE. JUGGLING WORK AND FAMILY WITH HEDRICK SMITH. V/O: FUNDING PROVIDED BY THE ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION TO IMPROVE UNDERSTANDING OF THE NEEDS OF WORKING FAMILIES AND OF THE U.S. STANDARD OF LIVING. THE FOUNDATION ALSO SUPPORTS PROGRAMS IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. STANDUP: HELLO, I’M HEDRICK SMITH. WE ALL LIKE THE BENEFITS OF THE NEW ECONOMY, BUT IT’S TAKING A TOLL. MAKING A LIVING HAS GOTTEN OUT OF SYNC WITH MAKING A FAMILY AND HAVING A LIFE. THE HARDER WE WORK, THE RICHER WE GET, BUT THE POORER WE FEEL IN OUR PERSONAL LIVES. THE 60 MILLION WORKING PARENTS WITH CHILDREN UNDER 18 FEEL ESPECIALLY SQUEEZED BY WORK. FAMILY TIME FOR THE AVERAGE WORKING COUPLE HAS SHRUNK BY 22 HOURS A WEEK SINCE 1970. SO EVERY DAY PEOPLE HAVE TO MAKE AGONIZING CHOICES – BETWEEN GETTING AHEAD AND GETTING TO SHARE THE JOY OF RAISING THEIR CHILDREN… BETWEEN BEING ON THE TEAM AND BEING THERE TO CARE FOR THEIR AGING PARENTS. BUT IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT? THE ANSWER IS YES. YOU’RE ABOUT TO SEE PROGRESSIVE COMPANIES AND UNIONS TAKING INNOVATIVE STEPS…DEALING WITH PIECES OF THE PROBLEM. BUT EXPERTS SAY IT WILL TAKE FAR LARGER SOCIAL ACTION, EVEN RETHINKING HOW WE ORGANIZE WORK…TO PROPERLY PROTECT THE AMERICAN FAMILY. BUT FIRST, HOW ARE THINGS GOING AT THE GRASS ROOTS? Exterior – Charlotte Gattenby’s house Charlotte Gattenby on computer at work NARR: FOR MANY PARENTS…ESPECIALLY SINGLE MOTHERS LIKE CHARLOTTE GATTENBY, A MANAGER FOR HEWLETT-PACKARD IN CALIFORNIA, THE MOST STRESSFUL TIME OF DAY IS THE LONG HOURS FROM 3 TO 6 EACH AFTERNOON. Andrea Gattenby calls her mom, Charlotte Gattenby at work- Intercut Charlotte Gattenby’s phone call with Andrea Gattenby. Charlotte Gattenby: “Hello?”
NARR: LIKE ALMOST 7 MILLION KIDS UNDER 14, CHARLOTTE’S KIDS ARE LATCHKEY KIDS. Charlotte Gattenby: “Oh, was it a little bit late?” Hedrick Smith in the kitchen talking to Andrea Gattenby HEDRICK SMITH: And do you have a deal
when you get home you’re supposed to call? Charlotte Gattenby at office, hangs up phone Charlotte Gattenby: “Bye-bye.” NARR: TO EASE HER WORRIES AND TO SAFEGUARD HER CHILDREN WHILE THEY’RE HOME ALONE, CHARLOTTE INSISTS ON STRICT RULES. Andrea Gattenby playing piano CHARLOTTE GATTENBY: When I’m not home I don’t want them outside. I do not believe in the concept of "hanging" with your friends. Tony Gattenby playing video game in his room CHARLOTTE GATTENBY: Their friends cannot visit them. The house is for those two only. Children preparing dinner NARR: THE FAMILY LIVES IN SOUTH SAN JOSE, A WORKING CLASS NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE TONY AND ANDREA NEED TO BECOME INDEPENDENT AND SELF SUFFICIENT, LIKE THEIR MOM. …THE CHILDREN ARE NORMALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR DINNER THREE NIGHTS A WEEK. CHARLOTTE GATTENBY: I know that they can take care of themselves. They're very efficient children. They're very responsible. But, I still worry. And I do feel guilty about them being alone. I think it's probably just the natural reaction, as most parents would…I feel like I should be with my kids more. Charlotte Gattenby’s car pulls into driveway. NARR: BEING THERE FOR HER CHILDREN IS A CHALLENGE. Children preparing food. Charlotte Gattenby gets out of car, walks in house – Intercut with children cooking Charlotte Gattenby: “Hey guys” Charlotte Gattenby comes in and kids run and hug her. Charlotte Gattenby: “Hey, I love you” In the kitchen Hedrick Smith talks to kids HEDRICK SMITH: How do you tell when
she’s had a hard day? Hedrick Smith talks to Andrea in the kitchen HEDRICK SMITH: If you had one wish
for your mom, if you could give her anything, what would it be? Dinnertime – sound up Charlotte Gattenby: “Great job guys.” NARR: QUITTING WORK TO PLAY MAY BE EVERY CHILD’S FANTASY… PERHAPS EVERY PARENT’S, AS WELL. TONIGHT, CHARLOTTE WAS HOPING TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE EVENING TO PLAY...INSTEAD, AFTER A FULL DAY AT THE OFFICE AS OFTEN HAPPENS… Charlotte Gattenby on the phone at home, daughter Andrea Gattenby lying by her side. Charlotte Gattenby: “And I’ve got a question, just a quick one, for me…” NARR: HER NIGHT IS INTERRUPTED BY WORK. Charlotte Gattenby: “When Joanie said she had six calls, did she push it back to the Response Center or did she attempt to do a warm transfer?” NARR: AND THE PHONE CALLS KEEP COMING UNTIL 4 A.M. Charlotte Gattenby: “Okay, thanks” ELLEN GALINSKY: In every study we do, how we work turns out to be the most important thing that affects us, our health, our mood, our energy. What we’re like when we come home at the end of the day, how we relate to our kids, how we relate to our husbands, our wives, our partners, how we relate to our own parents, or our friends. So it’s, so how we work is just at the core of the issues that we face today. Michael Lancaster puts on his clothes at work Title: SINGLE DAD Michael Lancaster at work NARR: WALK INTO ANY HOSPITAL FOR SURGERY AND YOU DEPEND ON LOTS OF PEOPLE WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES…PEOPLE LIKE 46-YEAR-OLD MICHAEL LANCASTER. MICHAEL HAS AN ESSENTIAL JOB. Michael Lancaster: “You need an
immobilizer?” NARR: HE PROVIDES VITAL SUPPLIES TO 18 OPERATING ROOMS AT ST. VINCENT’S HOSPITAL. MICHAEL LANCASTER: Make sure tubing and everything is in the right places where they should be. And basically running around, going to the pharmacy, going to the blood bank, constantly just going, going, going. NARR: HE’S ON THE MOVE FROM THE MOMENT HE WALKS IN THE DOOR AND OFTEN WORKS 18-HOUR SHIFTS. BUT AS HE WORKS, MICHAEL’S MIND IS ON HIS OTHER ESSENTIAL JOB – HIS FAMILY. HE’S A SINGLE DAD TRYING TO SUPPORT THREE KIDS ON $37,000 A YEAR – IN NEW YORK CITY. HEDRICK SMITH: So what’s this
here? Michael Lancaster at home with Mylaka Michael Lancaster: “C’mon MICHAEL LANCASTER: The greatest joy in my life is having my kids, that’s my life. Michael Lancaster: “So what are we gonna eat this morning? What are we gonna have for breakfast?” MICHAEL LANCASTER: The greatest frustration is um, maybe not providing as much as you would like to. Michael Lancaster and Mylaka Lancaster brushing their teeth Michael Lancaster: (brushing teeth) “Mmmm, Mmmm” NARR: MICHAEL SHARES CUSTODY FOR TWO COLLEGE-AGE DAUGHTERS WITH HIS EX-WIFE. Michael Lancaster: “Let me see you brush them teeth” NARR: HE FEELS A SPECIAL BOND WITH FOUR-YEAR-OLD MYLAKA. WHEN SHE WAS BORN AT HOME, MICHAEL DID THE DELIVERY… AND HE’S BEEN RAISING HER ON HIS OWN EVER SINCE. Michael Lancaster gets Mylaka Lancaster breakfast Michael Lancaster: “We’re
going to have today, Cheerios?” MICHAEL LANCASTER: It was really amazing, I’m telling you. It was really something to get into bringing up a baby by yourself as a….as a man, as a father. Mylaka Lancaster: “Here we go” MICHAEL LANCASTER: Getting up every two hours, feeding, changing the diapers. I’ve done the whole nine yards. Michael Lancaster: “There you go. Go ahead. Eating all your cereal?” NARR: FOR MICHAEL, JUGGLING TIME AND MONEY IS A NEVER-ENDING STRUGGLE… Michael Lancaster: “You’re
not finishing your cereal.” MICHAEL LANCASTER: It’s rough, you know, ‘cause you know, you have rent, you have your utilities, you have your other bills that you have to pay. And it’s very rough so I basically live check to check. NARR: DAYCARE FOR MYLAKA ALONE COSTS ALMOST 8 THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR… THAT’S NEARLY ONE THIRD OF MICHAEL’S TAKE HOME PAY. Michael Lancaster: “Sit down over
here” NARR: TO MAKE EXTRA MONEY, HE WORKS ALL THE OVERTIME HE CAN…AND HE GETS SOME PUBLIC ASSISTANCE… WHAT HE DREADS IS BEING FORCED INTO TAKING A SECOND JOB. MICHAEL LANCASTER: If I took a second job, it would separate me and Mylaka, okay. It would definitely because the bond that we have now it’s really good. And being I’m her….her only parent basically, you know, it’s, it’s gonna be rough so I, I see myself that if I took a second job, that’s gonna be less time for us, okay. Mylaka Lancaster: “We got it!” ROBERT REICH: We talk about work and family and the struggle to balance or to blend work and family as if everybody was in the same boat, and everybody’s not in the same boat. If you are a high paid professional on a fast track, uh, your problem is that your job doesn’t have boundaries, it’s unpredictable, you’re gonna be, uh, demanded at many hours...but you have the money to cope with that....But if you are a blue collar or pink collar worker... you’re going to be working overtime. You’re going to be making as much as you possibly can to make ends meet. You can’t sub-contract to high quality services, you can’t get great childcare, great daycare.” Gloria Eroglu at work in the lab Title: SPLIT SHIFTS NARR: GLORIA EROGLU IS A HIGH-END LAB TECHNICIAN AT COLUMBIA PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL IN NEW YORK. SHE LOVES HER JOB ANALYZING PRENATAL BLOOD TESTS. GLORIA EROGLU: It’s challenging. It’s something that you have to keep up with it. You have to con-, you know, constantly read and be updated with all the, the new information that comes out. I mean we’re talking DNA level, we’re talking science that every day there is a new thing with it. NARR: THE SCIENCE IS EXCITING…. BUT HER FULL TIME JOB PLUS A 90-MINUTE COMMUTE TWICE A DAY PUTS GLORIA IN A TIME BIND – SHE NEVER HAS ENOUGH HOURS WITH HER FAMILY…ESPECIALLY SINCE SHE AND HER HUSBAND DECIDED TO WORK SPLIT SHIFTS. GLORIA EROGLU: We chose for my husband
to work overnight and for me to work during the day so that we can
keep track of our children, basically twenty four hours a day, seven
days a week. Gloria Eroglu walking to subway in hospital, in snow, in station GLORIA EROGLU: What I am thinking about is, did I take the meat out? Do I have enough potatoes? Are my kids okay, is my husband okay? NARR: GLORIA IS ALWAYS IN A RUSH BECAUSE THE FAMILY HAS JUST ONE PRECIOUS HOUR TOGETHER AFTER SHE GETS HOME…AND BEFORE HER HUSBAND LEAVES FOR HIS JOB. Gloria Eroglu on train, on platform to change train, calling from subway payphone GLORIA EROGLU: Everything has to be orchestrated, everything has to be programmed and it has to be worked out really well. I know that if I miss a train, I’m gonna have to be catching the next train which is gonna be ten, fifteen minutes later. If I get off at 59th Street I will be able to take the B which will take me to the express and then if I take the express I’ll get home 10 minutes earlier. Sometimes when there are delays I get a payphone, and I call him and I tell him we’re having delays. I feel exhausted. I feel like I need to take a deep breath before I start the day and before I start my second job, which is home. Gloria Eroglu meets the family at the car. NARR: EVEN THE SHORT RIDE HOME FROM THE SUBWAY IS A TIME FOR CRAMMING IN FAMILY TOGETHERNESS. … Eroglu family in car Gloria Eroglu: “Did you have a
test today, Ismail?” Family makes dinner in kitchen, Seref Eroglu sets the table NARR: SHEREF QUIT HIS JOB AS AN OFFICE MANAGER AND NOW DRIVES LIMOUSINES OVERNIGHT. … HE SACRIFICED MONEY AND CAREER SO THE TWO BOYS WILL FEEL THE STABILITY OF ALWAYS HAVING A PARENT AROUND. SERAFETTIN EROGLU: Ever since they were little kids, they have been taken out of their beds early in the morning, rushed to daycare, rushed to babysitters and rushed to school so. SEREF EROGLU: One day she - he’s picking me up and then the other day she’s picking me up. So I really don’t know who is going to come pick me up next. Serafettin Eroglu: “I don’t
know how much work there’s going to be out there today.” NARR: WORKING DIFFERENT SHIFTS IS HARD ON GLORIA AND SHEREF. HE DRIVES THE LIMO UNTIL 7 or 8 A.M., GETS HOME, AND THEN SHE’S OFF TO HER LAB. Ismail Eroglu: “Can I help?” NARR: IT’S A CONSTANT PUSH. BUT THEY FEEL THE CHILDREN BENEFIT Ismail Eroglu: “What should I do?” Family eats dinner GLORIA EROGLU: We sit down, we have dinner, he goes upstairs, takes a shower and goes out to work. Kids hug Serafettin Eroglu goodbye Gloria Eroglu: “Ready to go?” GLORIA EROGLU: We kiss goodbye, good luck, be careful. The kids love him, hug him. I don’t know, sometimes it feels like it’s the last day because we’re like, so apart um, and yet so close that we feel so much going when, when he’s leaving. Gloria Eroglu: “Alright, good
luck alright.” JOAN WILLIAMS: Many different people, men as well as women in this country are really caught between two very closely held ideals. One is the ideal worker, the way we define the responsible committed worker, and the other is the way we define the responsible committed um, parent or family member. And they don’t feel that they can put these things, two things together in their own lives. And so they really feel a clash, um, between these two ideals.” HEDRICK SMITH: How did we get into this fix? Because it’s ob-, it’s obviously not happening just to a few people, but it’s universal, or nearly universal. JOAN WILLIAMS: That’s such an important point. This is not a matter of individual choice, individual priorities, this is a structural problem. Uh, if you think about the ideal worker defined as someone who works 50, 60 hours a week, that simply clashes with our sense of what children need, which is time with their parents. Uh, our sense of what someone needs if their mother is dying. Old video of men from farms to factories NARR: THE WORLD WASN’T ALWAYS SO CONFLICTED. ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WAS A CLEAR DIVISION OF LABOR...THE STRUCTURE OF WORK IN AMERICA GOT SHAPED IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY WHEN MILLIONS OF MEN STREAMED OFF FARMS…INTO FACTORIES. ...SO MEN BECAME THE BREADWINNERS, AVAILABLE TO WORK AS MANY HOURS AS THE JOB DEMANDED. ...ALL BUT A TINY MINORITY OF WOMEN STAYED AT HOME, TAKING CARE OF THE CHILDREN AND THE HOUSEHOLD NEEDS. …THAT WAS THE PATTERN, WHICH BECAME OUR SYSTEM FOR ORGANIZING WORK Postwar cars, houses, men at work, families at home NARR: IN THE GOLDEN ERA OF POSTWAR PROSPERITY, THE SYSTEM HELD. …THE AMERICAN ECONOMY WAS BOOMING AND MEN COULD SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES BECAUSE OF RISING PRODUCTIVITY AND RISING INCOMES. BUT THERE WERE FORCES AT WORK QUIETLY RESHAPING THE ROLES OF WOMEN AND THE FUTURE OF THE AMERICAN FAMILY. EILEEN APPELBAUM: One was the rising educational levels of women themselves so that their aspirations changed. The second was the experience of World War II in which many women held non-traditional jobs while the men were at work and that changed their views of what women could do. Women marching, at work in factories, offices NARR: BY THE 1960S, WOMEN WERE DEMANDING EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO MEN. …STAYING HOME TO MAKE THINGS FOR THE FAMILY, NO LONGER MADE SENSE BECAUSE MASS PRODUCTION COULD TURN OUT CLOTHES, FOOD, AND APPLIANCES FAR MORE CHEAPLY….FINALLY, BY 1973, WORK FOR WOMEN HAD BECOME A NECESSITY. THE POST-WAR ECONOMIC BOOM CAME TO A SCREECHING HALT...AND INFLATION WAS EATING AWAY THE PURCHASING POWER OF MEN’S WAGES…SO THAT ONE PAYCHECK WAS NO LONGER ENOUGH. …AND MILLIONS OF HOUSEWIVES HAD TO GO TO WORK. ...THEY TRIED TO DO IT ALL. Enjoli commercial – “I can bring home the bacon - Enjoli - fry it up in the pan…” EILEEN APPELBAUM: In the seventies, you had this increase in mothers working, many of them in part-time jobs. And in the eighties, what happened is that the hours that these mothers were working began to increase. And over the next two decades, the hours of work put in by married couple families with children increased by 600 hours a year. STANDUP: TODAY ROUGHLY TWO-THIRDS OF MARRIED COUPLES WITH CHILDREN UNDER EIGHTEEN BOTH WORK...AND SO DO SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT OF SINGLE PARENTS. SO IN MOST FAMILIES, THERE’S NO LONGER A FULLTIME WIFE TAKING CARE OF THE HOME. THESE CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS KEEP SHARPENING THE TENSIONS BETWEEN WORK AND FAMILY. TAKE THE LEGAL PROFESSION, FOR EXAMPLE. HALF OF TODAY’S LAW SCHOOL GRADUATES ARE WOMEN. SO LET’S SEE WHAT BIG LAW FIRMS IN A CITY LIKE BOSTON DEMAND... AND HOW YOUNG ATTORNEYS RESPOND. Claire Smith’s backyard - Claire Smith plays with kids Claire Smith: “One, two three, ready or not, here I come! Where could Reid be? Ahhh! (laughter) I got you!” NARR: FOR SEVERAL YEARS, CLAIRE SMITH EXCELLED AS A FAST-RISING YOUNG LAWER AT GOODWIN PROCTER, ONE OF BOSTON’S TOP LAW FIRMS. AS A LITIGATOR IN HIGH PROFILE CASES, CLAIRE WAS ON HER WAY TO “HAVING IT ALL.” CLAIRE SMITH: I always thought during my whole pregnancy ‘well I can be great.’ I can be a great lawyer and I can be a great mom. NARR: THAT CHANGED AFTER CLAIRE’S FIRST CHILD, MOLLIE WAS BORN. Claire Smith plays in backyard with Mollie Smith and Reid Smith Claire Smith: “Ready, go! Go!” CLAIRE SMITH: I don’t think you
can ever prepare yourself for what it’s like until you….you
have the child. And, after she was born I thought, well this is
gonna be a little trickier than I thought. I don’t know if
I can do five days a week. I might be more comfortable with four.
NARR: BUT A FOUR DAY WORK-WEEK STILL TURNED OUT TO BE LIKE FULL TIME. CLAIRE SMITH: I would leave here a quarter of seven before my daughter was awake and get into the office around seven thirty and I was never out of there really before six thirty or seven. And then I….I would say nine out of ten Fridays did work from home. Newspaper articles about Claire Smith’s cases NARR: WHAT’S MORE, CLAIRE WAS NO LONGER A RISING STAR, GETTING PLUM ASSIGNMENTS THAT CAUSED A SPLASH IN THE MEDIA. CLAIRE SMITH: I was given two assignments
which really sort-of led to my decision to stay home full-time.
One was a very time consuming assignment in terms of commute, being
out of the office three days a week at a client, not a lot of face
time in the firm. The other assignment was physically impossible
to do in the time period it was supposed to be done. Claire Smith plays with children in sandbox Claire Smith: “Here’s a shovel” NARR: IN FRUSTRATION CLAIRE QUIT HER $100,000 A YEAR JOB. NOW SHE’S AT HOME FULL TIME WITH MOLLIE AND REID …AND SHE CAN AFFORD TO BE, BECAUSE HER HUSBAND IS ON THE PARTNERSHIP TRACK AT ANOTHER BIG BOSTON LAW FIRM. Claire Smith in kitchen with kids Claire Smith: “Time for lunch.
You know what, Let me tell you something. It’s past your lunchtime
and I bet you’re hungry without even knowing it.” NARR: SHE’S AN IDEAL MOM, NURTURING AND PATIENT Mollie Smith: “I’m not hungry” NARR: ... ADEPT AT RIDING THROUGH HER CHILDREN’S MOODS. Claire Smith: “You want peanut
butter and jelly. And maybe a slice of apple?” HEDRICK SMITH: So as you’re making
peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, is there a part of you that
sorta aches and feels unfulfilled? BBA Report, Street traffic, Goodwin Procter lobby NARR: SUCH FEELINGS OF BEING SHUNTED ASIDE AND PASSED OVER ARE SO PERVASIVE THAT THE BOSTON BAR ASSOCIATION DID A STUDY. Webcrawl: For more about lawyers NARR…ITS TASK FORCE FOUND THAT ALMOST AS MANY WOMEN ENTER PRIVATE FIRMS AS MEN, BUT ALMOST HALF LEAVE WITHIN THREE YEARS AND PART TIME IS RARELY PRACTICAL. …TASK FORCE DIRECTOR NANCER BALLARD. NANCER BALLARD: Almost every firm offers part-time work as a policy. So, theoretically, it's available. The reason that you see such low numbers both for women and virtually nonexistent for men -- other than health reasons -- is because it is seen as having a stigma. Um, and it -- and it, in fact, does have a stigma -- that people see it as a bar to advancement, that you won't be put on high-profile cases, or get exciting work. NARR: IN LARGE PART, SAYS NANCER BALLARD, IT’S BECAUSE SUCCESS IN THE BIG FIRMS EQUALS HIGH “BILLABLE HOURS” – THE NUMBER OF HOURS A LAWYER DIRECTLY CHARGES CLIENTS. NANCER BALLARD: The number of hours
per week, per year on an ongoing, multiple-year basis that lawyers
put in -- particularly in large firms and medium-large firms is
very intense. It can be 50, 60, 65 hours-plus. Law firm associates working in library NARR: THAT DIRECTLY CLASHES WITH THE CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE LAW - WOMEN AND MEN GRADUATING FROM LAW SCHOOLS IN EQUAL NUMBERS...AND STARTING FAMILIES EARLIER. NANCER BALLARD: So you have two things which are kind of on a collision course....You have more women in the workplace...and a desire...that both parents are gonna be involved in, in child rearing and child care and, later, elder care...And at the same time you have expectations within the legal profession...that to advance in your career,...you’re gonna work more and more and more hours. NARR: FOR A SMALL MINORITY LIKE MARGARET CROCKETT, PART TIME WORKS. CROCKETT CUT BACK TO A FOUR DAY WORK WEEK 11 YEARS AGO, AFTER HER FIRST CHILD WAS BORN. Margaret Crockett answers phone in her office Margaret Crockett: “Margaret Crockett” MARGARET CROCKETT: My kids are better off with me having this career. And, as long as I’m able to be there in the morning getting everybody on the bus and be home two afternoons a week after school and weekends, I feel like it works. Margaret Crockett: “Is he there right now?” NARR: IT WORKS BECAUSE MARGARET’S FIELD IS BANKING REGULATION, WHICH MORE EASILY ACCOMMODATES PART TIME HOURS. Regina Pisa walks into partner’s office Regina Pisa: “Hey Richard” NARR: REGINA PISA IS HEAD OF GOODWIN PROCTER. SHE SUPPORTS PART-TIME IN PRINCIPLE, BUT HER BOTTOM LINE IS SATISFYING THE CLIENT. REGINA PISA: The issue is how to make
part-time work, how to be responsive to clients, and how to do it
in a way, um, that allows people flexibility, um, to come and go
on a truncated schedule -- on a shortened schedule. Treadmills, traffic, people on street, on phone, computers, factory NARR: THE ACCELERATED TEMPO OF BUSINESS TODAY HAS INTENSIFIED THE COMPETITIVE PRESSURE ON LAWYERS TO BE AVAILABLE AROUND THE CLOCK AND WORK MANY MORE HOURS THAN 20 YEARS AGO. REGINA PISA: Industry today is at a whole different plateau than it’s ever been before. It’s moving very fast. Technology has sped up the rate at which we conduct business in this country. Fast turnaround, speedy response, speed to market – I think those are all things that industry faces. And so long as our clients have issues that need responses, we have to be ready to provide them with help. NARR: IN THIS COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT, GOODWIN PROCTOR PRIZES HARD DRIVING YOUNG ATTORNEYS LIKE RAJEEV BALKRISHNA. Rajeev Balakrishna in his office RAJEEV BALAKRISHNA: I mean after all, we’re in a service industry. We’re, you know, if…if we don’t get the job done, then somebody’s gonna go next door and….and get it done from them. Rajeev Balakrishna on the phone in his office NARR: RAJEEV REGULARLY PUTS IN OVER 50 HOURS A WEEK ... AND FOR THAT HE MAKES OVER $200,000 A YEAR. RAJEEV BALAKRISHNA: You know, I think I bill out at over three hundred bucks an hour and nobody’s gonna pay that kind of money and want to hear an answer that, “I’ll get it done when I want to get it done.” Boston skyline at night Rajeev Balakrishna on the phone Rajeev Balakrishna: “Hi Jay, it’s Rajeev calling” NARR: AND SO RAJEEV BURNS THE MIDNIGHT OIL. RAJEEV BALAKRISHNA: You could go several days with, without seeing your kid because the kid’ll be asleep before you get home and you’re leaving before he wakes up. It, and that’s hard, that’s very hard. And it’s very hard on the marriage, it’s very hard on the family, it’s hard on everybody involved. Rajeev Balakrishna at firm lunch NARR: IT MAY BE HARD, BUT ASPIRING YOUNG LAWYERS TAKE PRIDE IN BRAGGING ABOUT THEIR PERIODIC ALL-NIGHTERS FOR THE LAW FIRM. RAJEEV BALAKRISHNA: You know, when things happen that are out of the ordinary, that are just, you know, just something that’s just wow, this is crazy, you really want to share it with other people David Seibel at lunch table David Seibel: “Congratulations, is this your first or second?” RAJEEV BALAKRISHNA: People will say stuff like uh, it was a long night but, you know, at 4 in the morning, I was able to like, convince this guy, we won it, signed up the merger agreement at five thirty; we announced it to the market just before it opened. ...Yeah, you know, there is, there is definitely a bit of that war story bravado mentality. Rajeev Balakrishna exits train NARR: RAJEEV CAN GO FULL BORE ON HIS CAREER Rachna Balakrishna feeds Rohan Balakrishna in backyard, Rachna Balakrishna: “Good boy” NARR: BECAUSE HIS WIFE RACHNA MANAGES THE HOME AND FAMILY. Rachna Balakrishna: “Yeees” Rachna Balakrishna and Rohan Balakrishna play on swings at playground NARR: SHE FITS THE BOSTON BAR ASSOCIATION’S PROFILE OF THE TYPICAL FEMALE ATTORNEY. BEFORE STARTING A FAMILY, SHE CONSIDERED TRYING PART-TIME AT HER LAW FIRM, NUTTER, McCLENNEN & FISH. RACHNA BALAKRISHNA: There were other women working there part-time after they came back from maternity leave. But what I saw was that part-time was really uh, more like a full-time job. Rachna Balakrishna at her desk NARR: SO RACHNA SHIFTED HER LEGAL CAREER OVER TO MANULIFE FINANCIAL, WHERE PART TIME REALLY MEANS PART TIME. RACHNA BALAKRISHNA: At most big law firms there is a sense that if you’re not working the full hours that you’re expected to, that you’re not fully committed to your job. Here people know that I’m committed to the job that I’m doing, in the position that I’m in now. Rachna Balakrishna going on errands with her son NARR: RACHNA WORKS THREE DAYS A WEEK, WHICH ALLOWS HER TO BE WITH HER SON, ROHAN, ... SHOP, ... AND RUN ERRANDS ON HER OFF DAYS. Rachna Balakrishna at the cleaners Rachna Balakrishna: “Just uh, dropping off today” NARR: SHE’S FOUND HER WORK-LIFE BALANCE. Rajeev Balakrishna and Rachna Balakrishna in kitchen with Rohan Balakrishna NARR: BUT HER AMBITIOUS HUSBAND, LIKE OTHER GENERATION X LAWYERS NOW IN THEIR 30S, IS CHAFING AT THE EXCESSIVE DEMANDS OF THE JOB. RAJEEV BALAKRISHNA: Work comes first, but you know, there are some things where the family has to come first. Rajeev Balakrishna giving his son a bath RAJEEV BALAKRISHNA: When you have a child at home, it gives you such a big incentive to get your work done and get home and to really ask yourself whether what you're doing is necessary to get done that night. Or, whether you can just put it off until the morning. Rachna Balakrishna feeding son, Margaret Crockett at her desk, Claire Smith playing with her children REGINA PISA: This isn't an issue that's gonna go away, because of the number of women coming out of law schools, because of the competition for talent, because of the need for people who will stay here over entire careers, because of the attrition. Um, and I think law firms need to respond to it or else we’re not gonna be able to develop and retain the talent we’re gonna need, you know, that make the world go round. HEDRICK SMITH: You’re a lawyer.
We see this story of these lawyers struggling in Boston, but is
this a broader pattern? Bumper: Juggling Work and Family with Hedrick Smith STANDUP: IN THE INFORMATION AGE, SILICON VALLEY, SOUTH OF SAN FRANCISCO, HAS LONG BEEN SYNONYMOUS WITH INNOVATION. AND WHILE THE PACE OF WORK IN THE HIGH TECH WORLD IS TYPICALLY FRENETIC AND RELENTLESSLY COMPETITIVE, THE CALIFORNIA COMPUTER NERDS HAVE LONG PRACTICED A LOOSER LIFE-STYLE THAN IN MORE TRADITIONAL INDUSTRIES. SO IT’S HARDLY SURPRISING THAT A CALIFORNIA COMPUTER GIANT LIKE HEWLETT-PACKARD WOULD PIONEER FLEXIBLE WORK ARRANGEMENTS… TO ALLOW ITS HIGH-PRICED TALENT MORE TIME WITH THE FAMILY. Photo of Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard NARR: FOR BILL HEWLETT AND DAVE PACKARD, IT WAS ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO TREAT EMPLOYEES WITH RESPECT AND FLEXIBILITY. Hedrick Smith and Lew Platt walking up steps into Hewlett-Packard Labs building NARR: BUT IT TOOK THE PERSONAL EPIPHANY OF LEW PLATT, THE NEXT CEO, TO MAKE FAMILY FRIENDLY POLICIES …A HALLMARK OF THE COMPANY. LEW PLATT: Well I had a….I had a very big wake-up call. Uh, I guess like everybody else I thought that these were women’s issues and, by and large, they were women’s issues because of the role that they were playing in society at the time. Black and white still photos of Lew Platt at Hewlett-Packard NARR: IN THE 1980s, HEWLETT-PACKARD WAS WHAT PLATT CALLED A “WHITE MALE HAVEN.” MEN FOCUSED ON THEIR CAREERS AND LEFT THE CHILD-REARING AND HOUSEKEEPING TO THEIR WIVES. …BUT FOR RISING STAR LEW PLATT, THAT WORLD WAS SUDDENLY TURNED UPSIDE DOWN. LEW PLATT: In, uh, nineteen um, eighty-one,
my wife died and uh, I ended up as a single parent of an eight-year-old
and a ten-year-old. And suddenly uh, I found out firsthand that
these were not women’s issues; these were issues of being a
parent. NARR: LATER, AS CEO, PLATT DROVE HEWLETT-PACKARD TO BE MORE ACCOMODATING TO THE FAMILY NEEDS OF ITS EMPLOYEES, ESPECIALLY WORKING MOTHERS. EMILY DUNCAN: We were losing women
at a rate higher than we wanted to. And as we looked into that issue
we came to understand that we would do a better job at keeping women
if we had more flexibility. NARR: PLATT’S STRATEGY MOVED WOMEN INTO TOP POSITIONS...CARLY FIORINA ... HIS HANDPICKED SUCCESSOR AS CEO …AND OTHER WOMEN ON THE COMPANY’S EXECUTIVE COUNCIL. SUSAN BOWICK: I think it’s tribute
to the fifteen years or so of hard work that a lot of women had
done as well as the environment that the senior managers in the
company had created. And it doesn’t just happen overnight;
it doesn’t happen by accident. Webcrawl: Escape the 9 to 5 grind EMILY DUNCAN:… or if you decide you want to take a sabbatical and go back to school. So at different phases of your career life, your needs change. And as an organization we want to have the flexibility to address those. Dip To Black Morning exterior, then into the house with Shelly Smith & husband Neal & kids, getting ready in the morning Shelly Smith: “Mmmm, good morning.
Are you done, are you done or do you want some milk? Oh boy”! NARR: MORNING IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. Neal: “Okay, see you later”. NARR: AND WITH TWO SMALL CHILDREN…EVERY MOMENT COUNTS SHELLY SMITH: So that’s, I guess,
when th- my stress level goes up. NARR: SHELLY SMITH IS IN THE FAST LANE. SHELLY SMITH: You know, there’s just not enough time to do it all. You know, I have an 8:30 phone call that I’ve got to start making from my car and its now 8:25 and I’m still in the daycare center trying to drop my child off and he doesn’t want to be dropped off. Shelly Smith: “Have a good day!” SHELLY SMITH: And you’re thinking I’m not going to make it. NARR: RIGHT FROM DAYCARE ... TO THE OFFICE ON WHEELS. Shelly Smith on phone in her car: “first skipped message … URGENT.” NARR: SHELLY IS A HIGH POWERED MARKETING MANAGER, OVERSEEING HEWLETT-PACKARD’S RELATIONSHIPS WITH ITS BUSINESS PARTNERS. Shelly Smith: “Hi Joe and Rob, this is Shelly Smith calling…” SHELLY SMITH: Since I’ve been a child I’ve always viewed success as being equated to what you do, and not necessarily you know, who you are but what you’re doing. NARR: IN THIS PRESSURE COOKER MARKET, SUCCESS CAN REQUIRE A 70 OR 80-HOUR WORK WEEK. … Shelly Smith: “I’ll leave them a quick voicemail right now…” Shelly Smith at home with kids NARR: BUT SHELLY DOESN’T WANT TO WORK 70 OR 80 HOURS A WEEK ... Shelly Smith with Kelby on her lap. Shelly Smith: “No, Yeah.” NARR: FEARING SHE’LL MISS OUT ON THE PRECIOUS EARLY YEARS OF HER CHILDREN. Shelly Smith with Weston at night, getting ready for bed NARR: SO SEVEN YEARS AGO, EVEN BEFORE HER SONS WERE BORN, SHELLY PROPOSED SHARING HER JOB SO SHE COULD CUT BACK HER HOURS. Exterior – Hewlett-Packard NARR: …HEWLETT-PACKARD AGREED Sound up of Suzanne Thomas leading a meeting with Shelly Smith and others. Suzanne Thomas: “And what are the functions that happen in these areas?” NARR: FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS, SUZANNE THOMAS HAS BEEN SHELLY’S JOB SHARE PARTNER. Suzanne Thomas: “Are we looking at the market in as creative and imaginative and a unique way as we should be in order…” NARR: SHELLY AND SUZANNE HAVE MOVED UP THE CORPORATE LADDER TOGETHER…WHILE EACH OF THEM HAS HAD ANOTHER CHILD... .SO HOW DOES IT WORK? Hedrick Smith talks with Shelly Smith and Suzanne Thomas SUZANNE THOMAS: In many aspects a job
share is like a marriage. It is like being in a marriage. NARR: EACH WORKS THREE VERY LONG DAYS A WEEK, TEN TO 14 HOURS A DAY. ONE TAKES THE FIRST HALF OF THE WEEK, THE OTHER TAKES THE SECOND HALF. THEY OVERLAP ON WEDNESDAYS. HEDRICK SMITH: So Monday morning, Shelly,
you start a job, set the priorities and by the end of the week,
events change, Suzanne’s come in, things are different. What
were you saying, how does that leave you feeling? NARR: TRUST IN EACH OTHER AND A STEADY STREAM OF PHONE CALLS AND E-MAILS, SOMETIMES ON WEEKENDS, ARE THE KEYS TO A SUCCESSFUL JOB SHARE. SHELLY SMITH: It’s not two part-time
jobs at all. It is one job that you share. NARR: REPORTING TO TWO BOSSES COULD BE A PROBLEM FOR THEIR SUBORDINATES. MARKUS BERBER WORRIED ABOUT THAT. Markus Berber walks down the hall with Suzanne Thomas MARKUS BERBER: I initially thought, you know what, I’m not sure this is going to work out from a business perspective. I’m not sure I want to assoc – want to be associated with that. NARR: IN TIME, MARKUS CHANGED HIS MIND MARKUS BERBER: I’ve learned more than, um reporting only to one manager because you have different perspectives. You have much more sound decisions therefore and that helps everybody. Two shot of Hedrick Smith and Gina Cassinelli from above. NARR: GINA CASSINELLI, SHELLY AND SUZANNE’S SUPERVISOR, SEES THEIR JOB SHARE AS SEAMLESS. GINA CASSINELLI: I don’t at all, say “Okay Suzanne, you haven’t been here at the beginning of part of the week, let me tell you where Shelly and I are on this. Um, I assume that’s being done and you know what, it is being done. And so I don’t think about that at all. Gina Cassinelli, Shelly Smith and Suzanne Thomas in a meeting Gina Cassinelli: “And so why don’t you just take a look at, at that line…” GINA CASSINELLI: So, frankly I pick up where I leave off with one and I continue on. Shelly Smith: “Here I would say,
VP and Director and level.” GINA CASSINELLI: I get more out of that position having two heads there, uh, than I would having a single person there. Uh, and so it’s, it’s, it’s, a win for them, it’s a win for me. I think it’s a win for the company. NARR: NO QUESTION THE COMPANY WINS, EVEN PAYING HANDSOME SIX FIGURE SALARIES TO EACH WOMAN. BUT FOR THEM, THERE’S A CATCH. ALTHOUGH THE JOB SHARE GIVES THEM EACH TWO DAYS OFF, THEY STILL PUT IN LOTS OF OVERTIME. HEDRICK SMITH: How many hours a week
do you figure, totally, the two of you are putting in? Eighty, ninety? Neal taking care of the kids. Weston gives Neal phone Weston: “Hi, it’s for you.” NARR: ONE NIGHT A WEEK, SHELLY’S HUSBAND NEAL, WHO’S A MANAGER OF A COMMERCIAL PLANT NURSERY, TENDS THE KIDS… AND TWO NIGHTS, A BABYSITTER COMES IN. TONIGHT, NEAL IS ON HIS OWN WITH WESTON AND KELBY. Neal and Weston reading a book Neal: “And where is the fairy
god-cow?” NEAL: It is a great opportunity to spend the time with the kids but it’s also a, a stretch sometimes as well. Neal reading with Weston Weston: “Owww” NARR: THIS IS WHAT SHELLY STILL MISSES… EVENINGS AT HOME. Neal: “C’mon up here” SHELLY SMITH: I would say, 70% of the time I do not see my kids on the three days that I work in the evenings. They’re usually in bed before I get home, or just going to bed. Neal getting Kelby dressed for bed Neal: “Both hands up” SHELLY SMITH: Every once in a while I get a little bit frustrated where I’ll sit there and go, you know, gosh darn it, this isn’t that important. Why am I still here at work. Why don’t I just get home, get to the kids. NEAL: I try and leave my work at work. And, in fact, I think with the kids uh, it, it really, it forces me to just break from work and, and come home with the kids. And by the time I’m ready for bed, all the, the worries and the stress of work are no longer in my mind. NARR: NEAL CAN WALK AWAY FROM HIS JOB AT REGULAR HOURS. Shelly Smith on phone in car Shelly Smith: “Um, let me know if that’s okay with you” NARR: BUT SHELLY HAS TROUBLE LETTING GO OF UNFINISHED BUSINESS. SHE FEELS THE TUG OF CAREER AND AMBITION. Shelly: “Thanks a lot, bye” SHELLY SMITH: It’s really my issue,
I think. Because I could’ve just, you know, said “enough’s
enough” and then, and then gotten out of work. And I didn’t,
you know. I just kept, you know, “I’ll do that extra e-mail
and I’ll do this extra whatever.” Shelly Smith with kids on the beach. Shelly Smith: “Okay, This way.” NARR: SHELLY USES HER DAYS OFF TO CATCH UP ON SHOPPING AND HOUSEHOLD CHORES. BUT EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE, SHE GETS A MOMENT ON THE BEACH. NEAL: I think it’s worked out very well for her. Uh, you know, she’s the kind of person I think that would go crazy if she was at home, uh with the kids. On the other hand, she loves the kids dearly, and so in that sense I think, it’s, it’s worked out as a very good balance for her. Shelly offers Weston a bagel. Shelly: “’kay which one do
you want, the top or bottom?” NARR: WHAT GETS LOST FOR SHELLY AND NEAL IS TIME TOGETHER… JUST TO WATCH THE SUN GO DOWN. SHELLY SMITH: And it’s usually
right toward the end of the day that you sort of look out the window
and go oh, yeah there is this you know, beautiful view here and,
and we would definitely like to be able to spend more time to just
watch it -but we’re expecting we’ll do that when our kids
are little older. That’s what I keep saying. When they’re
18, honey, we’ll get to be able to do all this other stuff.
Exterior – Collins’ house Shaun Collins and Michael Collins Shaun Collins: “That’s a jeep, you wanna play? You wanna play?” NARR: AT HEWLETT-PACKARD, THANKS TO LEW PLATT, YOU CAN SCALE BACK AND STILL PURSUE AN ACTIVE CAREER. PROJECT MANAGER SHAUN COLLINS FOR EXAMPLE, HAS DECIDED TO STEP OFF THE FAST TRACK. SHAUN COLLINS: Priority number one for me now -- and for always -- is my family. Shaun Collins: “Here we are, train!” NARR: SHAUN’S JOB DESIGNING COMPUTER APPLICATIONS NORMALLY COMMANDS ABOUT $75,000 A YEAR…BUT HE IS SACRIFICING HIGHER PAY AND CAREER ADVANCEMENT TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH HIS WIFE KARYN AND SON, MIKEY. SHAUN COLLINS: Every day is almost an exponential learning experience for Mikey. He learns new words 'n' gestures 'n' what not. SHAUN COLLINS: And I wanna be a part of that. I wanna be a part of my son's growing up, and that's what's really important to me. Shaun Collins reads to Michael Collins: “What’s the elephant say?” NARR: SHAUN WORKS FROM HOME MORNINGS AND EVENINGS, AND SPENDS JUST A FEW HOURS EACH AFTERNOON IN THE OFFICE. SHAUN COLLINS: I don't feel ambitious like I wanna become some kinda high-level manager right now. That's not important to me right now…what’s important to me is doing my job well and, and taking care of my family. These, these are the decisions I’ve made. NARR: SHAUN’S PROJECT TEAM IS “VIRTUAL” – WHICH MEANS THAT THEY LIVE IN DIFFERENT CITIES AND THEIR CUSTOMERS ARE SPREAD ALL OVER THE GLOBE. SO THEY MEET ON THE INTERNET. SHAUN COLLINS: I have to get up at six in the morning because there's a nine o'clock meeting in Atlanta. Or, maybe I need to talk to somebody in Germany, so I have to be up late. Or, maybe there's somebody in Singapore I need to talk to. The, the hours 'n' stuff are becoming more and more blurred. Shaun Collins and Michael Collins eating in kitchen NARR: SHAUN HAS HIS WORK AND FAMILY LIFE WELL INTEGRATED. SOMETIMES, WHEN HE GETS A BREAK, HE PLAYS WITH SON MIKEY…. Sound up Shaun Collins and Michael Collins Shaun Collins: “You happy?” NARR: ANOTHER ADVANTAGE OF BEING ON A VIRTUAL TEAM IS THAT NO ONE CAN SEE YOU WHEN YOU ARRIVE EARLY FOR A MEETING. Shaun Collins playing guitar next to his computer SHAUN COLLINS: This is certainly something you can't do at work -- is -- (chuckling) -- pick up your guitar, 'cause people give you funny looks, and they're trying to work and it would be a distraction. But here, you put on the "mute" button. Nobody knows you're playing guitar -- unless they wanna hear your music. Then they'll say, "Hey, you're playin' guitar?" "Yeah. You wanna hear some before everybody joins on?" "Yeah. Come on," you know. We don't have any sing-alongs or anything like that. We haven't gotten that sophisticated. (chuckling) Karyn Collins taking Michael Collins out of swing Karyn Collins: “Ok, lets push it up higher, one, two three…” NARR: BUT SHAUN’S WIFE, KARYN, HAS A HARDER TIME JUGGLING WORK AND FAMILY. SHE’S ALSO AN HP PROJECT MANAGER. KARYN COLLINS: I never really thought that I was gonna wanna do part-time. Karyn Collins walking Michael Collins along wall Karyn Collins: “Alright, up, up” KARYN COLLINS: But as soon as I had Michael, I knew that I wanted to be able to spend time with him. Karyn Collins walking Michael Collins along wall, away from camera Karyn Collins: “You gonna be a
circus performer when you grow up?” NARR: SO ONCE MICHAEL WAS BORN, SHE ASKED TO WORK HALF-TIME. BUT KARYN’S MANAGERS WANTED HER TO PUT IN MORE HOURS. KARYN COLLINS: They basically determined that before they were gonna be able to give me a challenging project to work on -- which is something that I felt I deserved – um, they, needed me to work 30 hours instead of 20. Karyn Collins putting Michael Collins into car Karyn Collins: “Alright, See you
later.” Karyn Collins and Shaun Collins kiss goodbye NARR: KARYN AGREED RELUCTANTLY. AND ON HER THREE DAYS IN THE OFFICE, SHE FEELS THE STRESS OF SAYING GOODBYE TO MIKEY AT DAY CARE. Webcrawl: Working parents survival guide Karyn Collins gets Michael Collins out of car and leads him into the day care center Karyn Collins: “Okay, out we go” KARYN COLLINS: It comes up a little bit as I'm dropping Mikey off at day care, because I see him playing with a bunch of different kids, and he's having a lot of fun. And then he sees me leave, and sometimes he's really upset and crying. Uh, other times he doesn’t seem to mind if I leave, but I’d like to stay and watch. Karyn Collins works on computer at home NARR: KARYN IS CONFLICTED. LIKE MANY WORKING PARENTS, SHE’S RELUCTANT TO USE HER FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES AS AN EXCUSE. KARYN COLLINS: One of the hardest parts
for me is having to explain to people what my work environment is
so that they understand why I don't wanna attend a phone conference
at ten o'clock in the morning on Wednesday or Thursday. NARR: FOR KARYN AND SHAUN, ONE HUGE SOURCE OF STRESS IS MONEY. HOUSING PRICES IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA ARE AMONG THE HIGHEST IN THE COUNTRY. KARYN COLLINS: It -- it's definitely a squeeze. There are times when I almost wish I didn't have to work at all. But you just have to do that if you're gonna live in the Bay Area. It’s just a fact of life. Exteriors – Collins house, guitar in background NARR: JUST DAYS AFTER OUR INTERVIEW WITH KARYN AND SHAUN, THEY DECIDED TO EASE THE ECONOMIC SQUEEZE. … THEY’VE PUT THEIR HOUSE UP FOR SALE AND PLAN TO MOVE TO A LESS PRICEY COMMUNITY… Karyn Collins singing to Michael Collins; Shaun Collins playing guitar Karyn Collins: (singing)“Twinkle, twinkle, little star how I wonder what you are….” NARR: KARYN HOPES SHE CAN CUT BACK HER HOURS AND HAVE MORE FAMILY TIME. KARYN COLLINS: We’re going to have choices to be able to take time off so that um, since Shaun and I want to have another child I could take a year off and spend time raising another child. Karyn Collins: (singing)“…I wonder what you are…” SHAUN COLLINS: You know you’re in trouble when your job gets in the way of your own life, knowing who you are and what makes you happy. Michael Collins: “Yeah” JOAN WILLIAMS: If you look at the statistics
men as a group are doing more for the family than their fathers
did. After all their fathers did virtually nothing. Uh, women as
a group are doing somewhat less than their mothers did. After all
their mothers were not, uh, in the work force. And so often, men
as a group feel great. They feel like they’re doing a great
job and women feel just terrible. Hewlett-Packard Exterior Engineers working over computers. Engineer: “And there’s this little chip, uh, down low…” NARR: IT’S DOWN IN THE TRENCHES WHERE THAT HITS HARDEST AND WHERE IT’S OFTEN DIFFICULT TO PRACTICE FAMILY FRIENDLY POLICIES ... ESPECIALLY WHEN THE JOB REQUIRES EMPLOYEES TO WORK ON SITE. Charmaine Crumer on service call Charmaine Crumer: “Hi, I’m here to do a service call…” NARR: ...LIKE COMPUTER SERVICE ENGINEERS… THE 9-1-1 EMERGENCY RESPONSE MEDICS FOR SICK AND CRASHING COMPUTERS. Charmaine Crumer on a call, working on a computer NARR: CHARMAINE CRUMER FOR EXAMPLE. FOR CHARMAINE, THE UNPREDICTABLE BREAKDOWNS OF COMPUTERS,… Charmaine Crumer plays with Caitlyn Crumer Caitlyn Crumer: “Three four...” NARR: … PLAY HAVOC... Charmaine Crumer: “You woke up
daddy!” NARR; WITH HAVING A NORMAL LIFE. …CHARMAINE AND HER HUSBAND CLARK, WHO TRAVELS A LOT, STRUGGLE TO FIND TIME TO RAISE THEIR DAUGHTERS, CAREN AND CAITLYN. Caren Crumer and Clark Crumer playing video games Caren Crumer “I killed you” CHARMAINE CRUMER: For me I feel it’s conflict, it’s a struggle. Charmaine Crumer: “You’re safe, you’re lucky!” CHARMAINE CRUMER: Always between work and home, I feel like I have to choose. Response Center Man #1: “Hewlett-Packard Customer
Support, this is Chris, how may I help you?” Exterior, Crumer house Charmaine Crumer outside waving at daughter rides on bike, gets beeped Charmaine Crumer: “Caitlyn, come back, mommy’s gotta go to work” CHARMAINE CRUMER: We get calls in ... They’re asking for people to help out… Charmaine Crumer on phone Charmaine Crumer: “Yeah, hi, I just got paged on a call …” CHARMAINE CRUMER: And, I’m torn between whether am I going to be a team player or am I going to be a mother? Charmaine Crumer helps Caitlyn Crumer take off bike helmet NARR: CHARMAINE MAKES ABOUT $60,000 A YEAR. BECAUSE HER WORK HOURS ARE SO UNPREDICTABLE, SHE NEEDS A FULLTIME LIVE-IN NANNY. Charmaine Crumer on service call CHARMAINE CRUMER: If I get a late call, I’ll usually, um, I can be home by seven, eight o'clock. If things start to go bad, I could be home as late as 2 a.m. or 3am. Hedrick Smith talks with Charmaine Crumer CHARMAINE CRUMER: That's the hardest thing -- when you walk in your house and your kids are asleep. You say, "I haven't spent" -- "I haven't spent any time with 'em. They're growin' up with a nanny, but, that's not their mother. Charmaine Crumer on service call CHARMAINE CRUMER: See, I like what I do. I like that pressure. I like coming out, being -- being the -- the hero, you know - when you, when you complete a job. I, you know, you -- you get that -- that high. But, is it worth it for the family? Well, that's a different question. It's -- no, it's not. Clark Crumer in Atlanta on business Clark Crumer: “Jeez, yeah, I gotta totally reconnect” NARR: CHARMAINE’S HUSBAND CLARK TRAVELS ALL OVER AMERICA, INSTALLING SOFTWARE FOR HEWLETT-PACKARD’S CORPORATE CUSTOMERS. …HE’S OUT OF TOWN MOST WEEKS, FROM MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. ...HAVING PIZZA DINNERS IN HIS HOTEL ROOM Clark Crumer on cell phone in hotel room Clark Crumer: “Hi honey, how you doing?” NARR: ... ALONE. Intercut, Clark Crumer in hotel room and Charmaine Crumer eating dinner with kids CHARMAINE CRUMER: It's constantly telling the kids that, you know, "Mom and Dad just have to do this." "Dad has to be away." But -- but in the back of your mind, you're thinking, "Well, does he have to be away?" "Do I really have to do this?" CLARK CRUMER: I think most families in America today are trying to spend the quality time, with their family, trying to improve their lifestyle, trying to have that -- that house, that American dream. Kids outside on scooters, bikes Charmaine Crumer: “Careful” CLARK CRUMER: And that, that is the struggle. That is what we're all trying to a- -- achieve -- that golden ring. NARR: WHAT KEEPS CLOUDING OVER THAT DREAM, FOR THE CRUMERS AND OTHERS IN CUSTOMER SERVICE IS A JOB ROTATION THAT HP CALLS DUTY WEEK …THE ONE WEEK A MONTH WHEN CHARMAINE IS ON CALL 24 HOURS A DAY… Still of “DUTY WEEK CONTACT LIST” Charmaine Crumer on service call NARR: …AND EVERYONE IS COMPLAINING ABOUT IT. Hedrick Smith talks to Charmaine Crumer, Larry Rogers and Bill Meyer at HP LARRY ROGERS: The pressure from customers
is incredible, their, all their business, is online, it’s real
time, when they have problems, they want a response right now, so
my customers expect me to be on site within 2 hours and they expect
restoration of their system within 4 to 6 hours. Hedrick Smith talks with Barbara Miller BARBARA MILLER: We no longer have the Ozzie-'n'-Harriet type family, where there's somebody staying at home on a snow day to take care of kids. But senior management that's saying, "We just need to pump out productivity," is really being short-sighted, because the realities that people are dealing with on a day-to-day basis have got to be taken into consideration. Barbara Miller talking to workshop NARR: BARBARA MILLER IS A WORK-LIFE TROUBLE SHOOTER. BARBARA MILLER: So I don’t want you to be burdened by old expectations, by old assumptions, … NARR: MORALE IS LOW, ATTRITION IS HIGH, AND HEWLETT-PACKARD IS WORRIED. Charmaine Crumer: “My husband and I both work for Hewlett-Packard” NARR: SO THE COMPANY SENT CHARMAINE, OTHER CUSTOMER SERVICE ENGINEERS AND THEIR SUPERVISORS … Webcrawl: Avoiding job burnout NARR: …TO A WORKSHOP RUN BY BARBARA MILLER. Barbara Miller: “What I want you to do is to begin to think out of the box.” Hedrick Smith talks with Barbara Miller BARBARA MILLER: So the whole intent here is to give them permission to challenge the routine ways that they have developed working. Charlotte Gattenby: “I think my biggest work-life challenge is…” NARR: CHARLOTTE GATTENBY, THE MANAGER AND SINGLE MOM WHOM WE MET EARLIER ADMITS HER PROBLEMS. Charlotte Gattenby in workshop Charlotte Gattenby: “My calendar takes, it manages me and not me managing my calendar.” NARR: MANAGEMENT WANTS BOTTOM-UP SOLUTIONS…AND THE ENGINEERS, BURNED OUT FROM OPERATING LIKE LONE RANGERS, MUST LEARN TO RELY MORE ON EACH OTHER. CHARLOTTE GATTENBY: I’ve had some engineers didn’t ask for help in a timely manner. They knew the resources were there, but it’s always like, well, just one more chance I know I can get it. NARR: CHARMAINE CRUMER’S GROUP DECIDES THAT BETTER TEAMWORK WOULD HELP THEM HANDLE EMERGENCY CALLS. CHARMAINE CRUMER: …Can you take
Monday through Friday, I'll take Saturday and Sunday? And then when
your Duty comes along, I'll take the Monday through Friday. NARR: BUT THE ENGINEERS SEE THEY CANNOT SOLVE ALL THE PROBLEMS. THEY TURN TO MANAGEMENT FOR HELP. CHARMAINE CRUMER: I, I talked to my manager...and the only response I got was, duty is an unfortunate thing with this job. ...I mean, it’s unfortunate, but there is something we can about it. You know, there’s gotta be something we can do about it. NARR: THEY PROPOSE HIRING MORE ENGINEERS, BUT WITH THE SHARP DOWNTURN IN HIGH TECH, THE TOP BRASS TELLS THE GROUP TO WORK OUT SOLUTIONS THEMSELVES - COST-FREE. JOAN WILLIAMS: And it shouldn’t
be up to individual workers to figure out that staffing solution.
This is a business issue. If they continue to staff duty week requiring
that much out of people indiv--, people’s individual lives,
what’s the result going to be? Very high attrition, very high
rates of stress related diseases. This isn’t a good business
practice. Bumper: Juggling Work and Family with Hedrick Smith Coping on the Front Line STANDUP: AS WE’VE SEEN, THE BATTLE TO HANG ONTO TALENTED MANAGERS AND PROFESSIONALS PUSHES A COMPANY LIKE HEWLETT-PACKARD TO LET ITS STARS WORK WHEN AND WHERE THEY WANT…JUST SO LONG AS THE JOB GETS DONE. BUT WHAT ABOUT FRONT-LINE WORKERS WHOSE JOBS ARE LESS PORTABLE AND LESS HIGH PROFILE? HOW MANY COMPANIES TRY TO ACCOMMODATE THE PERSONAL NEEDS OF PRODUCTION WORKERS? AND JUST HOW FLEXIBLE CAN YOU BE WITH BLUE COLLAR EMPLOYEES WHOSE JOBS TIE THEM TO MACHINES AND ASSEMBLY LINES? Dave Tresham walking down to the beach with his children. They’re going fishing. Dave Tresham: “Let’s go. We’ll make it.” NARR: IT’S MONDAY MORNING AND DAVE TRESHAM IS GOING FISHING … WITH HIS KIDS. …IN FACT, YOU CAN FIND THEM HERE MOST MORNINGS. Dave Tresham pushing son in stroller with daughter piggyback. Dave Tresham: “You guys wanna make the birds fly?” (children yell out to birds) NARR: DAVE ISN’T PLAYING HOOKEY. HE WORKS FULL-TIME, JUST NOT DAYTIME. Fischer Tresham throws rocks into water and Alycia Tresham splashing in water DAVE TRESHAM: And they just love to be outside. Fischer will, he’ll, he’ll throw a thousand rocks in the river, so, he’s, it's the time of his life right there. Dave Tresham and Fischer Tresham getting worms for bait Dave Tresham: “pull that one out” HEDRICK SMITH: Was your dad as much
involved in bringing you up – not just spending time with you
– but in bringing you up, as you are with your kids? Dave Tresham: “Waaay out there.” DAVE TRESHAM: But spending time with the kids all day? No, not too often. It's uh, quite a bit different than when I grew up. Nancy Tresham goes into her office building NARR: NANCY TRESHAM WORKS THE DAY SHIFT AS A CORPORATE TRAVEL AGENT. WHEN SHE GETS HOME… DAVE LEAVES FOR HIS JOB AT HEWLETT-PACKARD’S COMPUTER ASSEMBLY PLANT IN ROSEVILLE, CALIFORNIA, NEAR SACRAMENTO. Sign for Hewlett-Packard. Car entering parking lot. NANCY TRESHAM: So he's single mom during the day and I'm single mom during at night. Dave Tresham at work – assembling computer. NANCY TRESHAM: Dave's had numerous work schedules. We've tried both of us working 8 to 5. Kids were in day care all day. Financially, that gets to be quite costly. Nancy Tresham playing with kids NARR: COSTLY BECAUSE QUALITY DAYCARE FOR TWO AVERAGES $1100 A MONTH, ALMOST ONE QUARTER OF THEIR TAKE HOME PAY. …SO FOR FINANCIAL REASONS, THE TRESHAMS WORK OPPOSITE SHIFTS. NANCY TRESHAM: In the end, I really feel positive and very happy that one of us gets to stay home with the kids, and that they're not raised in a day care. Dave Tresham gets kids ready to leave the house Dave Tresham: “You guys ready to see, go see mom, go to Chuck E. Cheese?” NARR: IT’S A DRASTIC SOLUTION… Dave Tresham drives kids in car, walking into restaurant NARR: ....IT MEANS THEY HAVE VERY LITTLE FAMILY TIME. SO AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK, THEY HAVE A FAMILY MEAL DURING NANCY’S LUNCH BREAK. Family walks into Chuck E. Cheese. Eating with kids. Nancy Tresham: “It’s not
big enough” NANCY TRESHAM: I think what we do – uh, having the kids stay at home with one parent full-time, basically -- is kind of unusual. Dave Tresham pushes kids on swings at playground NARR: DAVE IS ONE OF A SMALL MINORITY OF FATHERS WHO REARRANGE THEIR WORK TO STAY HOME WITH THEIR PRESCHOOL KIDS DURING THE DAY. Hewlett-Packard Assembly Plant. NARR: …HE CAN DO THAT BECAUSE HIS PLANT WILL ADJUST WORKERS’ SHIFTS OR START-AND-STOP TIMES TO THEIR PERSONAL NEEDS. …THE PLANT CAN BE SO FLEXIBLE WITH ITS 800 WORKERS BECAUSE IT HAS REPLACED THE OLD ASSEMBLY LINE WITH WORKSTATIONS... WHERE EACH TECHNICIAN CAN BUILD A COMPUTER FROM START TO FINISH INDIVIDUALLY. Mike Nickey: “Dave” NARR: …MIKE NICKEY IS THE PLANT’S OPERATIONS MANAGER. Dave Tresham at work on assembly plant floor. MIKE NICKEY: They're responsible for
building that product totally and they're responsible for the quality
and the -- and the speed with which they build it. Shots of plant NARR: THAT MEANS WORKERS HAVE TO FILL IN FOR EACH OTHER WHEN SOMEONE HAS AN EMERGENCY OR A FAMILY NEED... SO THE PLANT CAN KEEP OPERATING EFFICIENTLY. EILEEN APPELBAUM: It’s really rare to find any kind of assembly process whether it’s assembly line or not where uh, managers will make it possible for people to have the kind of flexibility that we’ve just seen at Hewlett-Packard Mike Nickey: “Hi Bev” HEDRICK SMITH: Are there any downsides?
Are there any problems? You make it all sound like a dream world? Plant shots, Dave Tresham at work NARR: IF IT’S SO COMPETITIVE, HOW CAN THE COMPANY AFFORD TO BE SO FLEXIBLE? MIKE NICKEY: All of this uh, good stuff
doesn’t come totally free and I think one of the things that
we expect is when we have reason to work on a weekend, we, and we
frequently do, we ask people to come in and work some overtime. Nancy Tresham walking down sidewalk alone. NARR: FOR NANCY AND DAVE TRESHAM, HEWLETT-PACKARD’S WILLINGNESS TO LET DAVE WORK THE NIGHT SHIFT MAY HELP THEM FINANCIALLY, BUT NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS AWAY TAKE A TOLL ON THEIR MARRIAGE. NANCY TRESHAM: I just kinda miss having Dave around. That’s, that’s the hard part but uh, I think in the end we look at it, and it’s worth it for the kids. Dave Tresham on beach fishing. DAVE TRESHAM: Our relationship has
struggled. And, uh, we've had some tough times. We both know that
it’s paying off, though. Dip to Black Action Visuals inside plant - white-uniformed workers pouring chemicals, working on assembly line NARR: HALFWAY ACROSS THE COUNTRY, JUST OUTSIDE CHICAGO, BAXTER INTERNATIONAL IS ONE OF AMERICA’S LEADING MAKERS OF HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS. THE COMPANY PIONEERED PLASTIC I-V BAGS, WHICH IT NOW SUPPLIES TO HOSPITALS ALL OVER THE WORLD. …IT ALSO USES BLOOD PLASMA TO DEVELOP CUTTING-EDGE MEDICATIONS. JoAnne Pederson entering the security door NARR: ON THE NIGHT SHIFT, JOANNE PEDERSON HAS THE METICULOUS JOB OF TRACKING THOUSANDS OF BLOOD SAMPLES EACH WEEK FOR QUALITY CONTROL. JoAnne Pederson opening security door on lab JOANNE PEDERSON: I’m the one they come to looking for results. If FDA comes into us and say, “I want bundle such, uh, bundle five from January,” I better be able to find bundle five from January when they come in to do their audits. JoAnne Pederson at work NARR: WITH PEOPLE’S LIVES AT STAKE… JOANNE MUST KEEP PERFECT RECORDS OF EVERY BATCH OF BLOOD. …NORMALLY THAT’S A FULL TIME JOB…BUT FOR THE PAST THREE MONTHS, JOANNE HAS BEEN WORKING HALF TIME…SO SHE COULD TAKE CARE OF HER MOM, WHO IS DYING OF CANCER… SHE IS THE FIRST PERSON HER DAD WILL CALL IF HER MOM TAKES A TURN FOR THE WORSE. JOANNE PEDERSON: I really do worry about the phone ringing cause I know if that phone rings I’m outta here. And uh, when I go on breaks I forward it to somebody who’s gonna be at their desk or in their area so that I know cause I never know when he’s gonna call and let me know. JoAnne Pederson in bedroom with mom: “Can you smile for me today? There you go.” NARR: WHEN SHE’S NOT AT WORK… JOANNE IS AT HER MOTHER’S SIDE ALL DAY LONG, EVERY DAY. JOANNE PEDERSON: You know, I know she’s going. I know there is nothing we can do there, but, at least let’s make her comfortable while she’s here. And her, and in her last days I want her to be as comfortable as possible. So…. JoAnne Pederson gives her mother a sponge-bath JoAnne Pederson: “We doing okay? Hmm?” JOANNE PEDERSON: It is very hard, it’s
very stressful. It is not just physically tiring, it’s mentally
tiring. Um, twenty four hours a day your mind is going as far as
“what do I need to do for mom? What do I need to do?”
You have to be strong for the rest of your family is what you…you
have to hold up and, can’t let your guard down. Have to be
there for you, huh, dad? JoAnne Pederson and Hedrick Smith walking shots… NARR: JOANNE HAS TAKEN OVER HER MOTHER’S ROLE AS THE ROCK IN HER FAMILY. SHE KEEPS IN TOUCH WITH HER MOM’S DOCTORS… AND WATCHES OUT FOR HER DAD... JOANNE PEDERSON: I wouldn’t feel
comfortable if it was a stranger doing the things with my mom, taking
care of her. I feel better that it’s a family member. Karen Kirby at work NARR: KAREN KIRBY IS JOANNE’S BOSS… AND A VETERAN BAXTER EMPLOYEE WHO UNDERSTANDS THE GRUELING DEMANDS OF TAKING CARE OF A SICK FAMILY MEMBER. WHEN KAREN’S HUSBAND BATTLED NON-HODGKINS LYMPHOMA A FEW YEARS BACK, SHE LEARNED THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ABLE TO TAKE MEDICAL TIME-OFF. KAREN KIRBY: I know from experience that you cannot be 100 percent focused on your work if you are concerned about a situation that’s going on at home and you don’t feel like you’ve had an opportunity to really address those issues. Karen Kirby at work, then to JoAnne Pederson working. NARR: UNDER BAXTER’S FAMILY FRIENDLY POLICIES, KAREN ARRANGED FOR JOANNE TO WORK HALF-DAYS… USUALLY FROM 10 AT NIGHT TIL 2 A.M. …AND COUNT THE OTHER HALF DAY AS EMERGENCY MEDICAL LEAVE OR VACATION TIME. Webcrawl: Find eldercare resources NARR: FOR JOANNE, WORKING A FEW HOURS EACH DAY IS CRITICAL FOR KEEPING HER BILLS PAID AND GETTING HER MIND OFF HER MOTHER’S ILLNESS… KAREN KIRBY: I think that we’re starting to realize and understand that you can’t get the best from your people if, if you don’t also recognize that they are more than what they are when they are at work. JoAnne Pederson with her mother: “Ready for your medicine? Huh?” HEDRICK SMITH: JoAnne, what’s
the hardest time of day for you? JoAnne Pederson with her mother: “Mom? I’m gonna go to work, I’ll see you in the morning? ‘kay mom? Mom? See you in the morning. I love you. Okay? Love you. ‘Night dad. I’ll see you tomorrow.” JoAnne Pederson exits house. NARR: JOANNE’S MOTHER DIED TWO
DAYS AFTER OUR VISIT TO HER KAREN KIRBY: You know during the last
few months I think that it was, it was very difficult for her. But
she’s very strong and she, she did, she, she handles that the
same way that she handles everything else, and that’s with,
with grace and with strength. Harry Kraemer speaks to Baxter employees: “Good morning everyone. It is a pleasure to have a chance to spend time again with everybody…” NARR: BAXTER INTERNATIONAL’S FOCUS ON WORK-LIFE POLICIES COMES FROM THE TOP…FROM CEO HARRY KRAEMER. KRAEMER HAS MADE WORK-LIFE BALANCE THE CORPORATE MANTRA. MORE THAN 2,000 BAXTER EMPLOYEES WORK FLEXIBLE SCHEDULES OR AT HOME. AND MANAGERS’ PROMOTIONS ARE LINKED TO HOW WELL THEY SUPPORT WORK-FAMILY BALANCE. IT’S JUST SMART BUSINESS, KRAEMER INSISTS, TO UNDERSTAND THAT A WORKER IS MUCH MORE THAN HIS WORK. HARRY KRAEMER: Obviously, if people
really feel that they can do a better job of balancing their work-family
responsibilities, the overall ability to attract people to the company
increases and the level of turnover decreases. It’s a win-win
for everybody. Steve Meyer at his desk, checking voice mail NARR: ONE TOP EXECUTIVE WHO HAS TAKEN ON BAXTER’S MINDSET WITH A VENGEANCE IS CORPORATE TREASURER STEVE MEYER. Steve Meyer showing Hedrick Smith around the office Steve Meyer: “Regular schedule, comes in a little bit late, some telecommuting…” NARR: MORE THAN HALF OF HIS STAFF WORKS FLEXIBLE SCHEDULES. STEVE MEYER: I think I always considered
myself flexible. But honestly, when we had our first child, my wife
and I, um, I think it changed a lot. Because it became more concrete
and more real for me. I had some people working for me who noticed
and told me, “Gee, you’re going home earlier. (laughter)
And, at first, at first I was a little bit defensive. I said, “Well
no, I’m still getting my work done.” And the learning
for me was watching people watch me. And they were actually taking
cues from me in what are the appropriate work hours. Marguerite Fernandez with Steve Meyer in office: “You know, another thing I wanted to cover with you is…” NARR: MEYER WILL GO TO ALMOST ANY LENGTHS TO HANG ONTO TALENT… GLOBAL FINANCE SPECIALIST MARGUERITE FERNANDEZ TRIED TO RESIGN AFTER HER THIRD CHILD WAS BORN, TO SPEND MORE TIME AT HOME. Marguerite Fernandez with children at home, on the playground NARR: MEYER TALKED FERNANDEZ INTO WORKING FROM HOME JUST 22 HOURS A WEEK, DOING MAJOR FINANCIAL DEALS. HEDRICK SMITH: So what’s this
chart? You’re monitoring the markets, here on the laptop? Steve Meyer at his desk STEVE MEYER: When Marguerite was working
from home and we traded most of our messages through voice mail…
it didn’t make any difference to me whether she was at home
or at work, and it didn’t make any difference what the hours
of the day were. Marguerite Fernandez plays with her kids at home, daughter hands her a ball Marguerite Fernandez: “Thank you!” NARRATOR: MARGUERITE’S TRANSACTIONS FROM HOME WERE SO COST-EFFECTIVE THAT BAXTER GAVE HER A PROMOTION. ROBERT REICH: Employers are gradually getting the idea that they have to treat their professional workers as assets to be developed rather than as costs to be cut. But they haven’t yet understood that they need to apply the same principle to their routine workers, their blue collar and pink collar workers. Baxter Drug Delivery Plant NARR: EVEN AT BAXTER, THERE ARE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS FOR TOP PROFESSIONALS AND FRONT-LINE WORKERS. IT MAY BE JUST 20 MILES FROM CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS TO BAXTER’S DRUG DELIVERY PLANT AT ROUND LAKE. BUT THEY ARE WORLDS APART IN HOW THEY APPLY WORK-LIFE BALANCE. Jim McMillan in the plant NARR: FACING DAILY DEADLINES, PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR JIM MCMILLAN HAS MUCH LESS OPPORTUNITY TO BE FLEXIBLE WITH HIS WORKERS THAN STEVE MEYER. JIM McMILLAN: We have product that we start in the morning. We start to fill those bags at 7:30 and we’ve got a program set up that |