Part-time professional work. Is it good for women? Their careers? Their families? 

Everyone has their own perspective on part-time arrangements.  You shouldn’t take off Fridays, or you’ll seem like a slacker looking for a long weekend. Same goes for Mondays. You shouldn’t tell anyone you’re part-time, put your email on “out of office,” or basically, do anything other than pretend you are working all the time, even when you’re not.  You’re crazy to do this at all, you know, because you’ll still do all the work, for only a percentage of the pay. And opting out of full-time work does harm by reinforcing "Mommy track" stereotypes and taking the pressure off employers and policymakers to increase family-friendliness. 

You get the idea.

Suppose you get past all that and try it anyway.  What can you expect from part-time work? Based on 10 years of personal experience, and the stories and wisdom of other women, I know it’s possible to do good and serious work, enjoy it, and advance professionally while working a reduced schedule.  It’s no surprise, however, that this is not everyone’s experience. We all know better than to believe that one size could possibly fit all. 

At home, extra daylight hours can get invested in kids’ extracurriculars, orthodontist appointments, plumbers and electricians, dog walking, or, with luck, a little extra space to think your own thoughts. But sometimes, wrapping up a workday without shortchanging your entire career takes Cirque du Soleil-level skills, yet no one needs a ride or a hand with homework, and you’re too frazzled for a workout, to get the furnace guy in, or whatever it is you need or want to do.  Then it’s not as clear whether the trade-offs have been the right ones.

Despite those days when balance is more theoretical than real, part-time work that works seems to look like a glass that’s both half full and half empty. Sometimes the work side of the work-life balance seems to be getting the better end of the deal, and sometimes the life side does.