Tatum is a consultant at R.G. & Company (R.G.), a global consulting firm. She has enjoyed the past few years working at the company. As an ambitious person, she has been focusing on her long-term goal of advancing within the company. Furthermore, Tatum has always been passionate about her work and could not imagine working anywhere else. Nonetheless, working at R.G. as a mother of a young child has not been without its challenges. The company does offer some flexibility in terms of when she is in the office. As long as she completes her work, her supervisors usually do not care if she leaves early or works from home when her daughter is sick.

Although Tatum may work long hours at home, she knows that she is not perceived the same way as those who stay late working at the office. In her office, it seems like everyone expects you to stay late to demonstrate your dedication and to have any chance of being promoted. If Tatum wants a promotion, she believes she needs to make herself stand out among all the company's qualified individuals.

R.G. has policies to accommodate those with family responsibilities. But, in practice, Tatum knows that few employees take advantage of them. For example, Tatum was a little surprised at how quickly her supervisor, Kennedy, returned to the office after having a child. However, Kennedy was much admired at R.G. and was held up as an example that it was possible to have it all—to be a successful working mother. The alternative was for Tatum to transition to working part-time or switch to a less demanding role. Unfortunately, these alternatives would essentially mean putting aside her goal of advancement.

On the other hand, she had heard others make comments when another woman who had two younger children stayed late at the office. Some would say, "Why don't you get home to your kids?" or "Don't your kids miss you?" To Tatum, it felt like a constant balancing act between trying to be an exemplary employee and ensuring she was not perceived to be a neglectful mother.

One aspect that had initially drawn her to this organization was the "accommodations" (i.e., flexible work hours, fewer responsibilities, and part-time hours), particularly for women. However, she now felt almost guilty in thinking that these "accommodations" were more likely to hurt than help her professionally. Thankfully, her partner earned enough to comfortably support themselves if Tatum decided to work fewer hours or transition roles. Still, Tatum was having trouble coming to terms with the possibility of not achieving her professional goals.

• Do you believe the accommodations offered by Tatum's firm are effective in helping individuals balance work and family lives? Why or why not?
• Are there any practices or policies that the organization could implement to allow for greater work-life balance?