In a recent SHRM article, titled Women Are Already Living Work/Life Integration. Is the Workplace?, Kimberly Ricci tries to wrap her arms around a notoriously unwieldy subject.
Employers will want to take note of these highlights:
- Women already practice work/life integration by necessity, not by choice, managing careers alongside disproportionate domestic and caregiving responsibilities.
- The “mental load” (anticipating needs, tracking schedules, managing household logistics) averages about four hours of unpaid domestic work daily for women.
- That imbalance follows women into the office, where they also absorb more invisible workplace tasks like scheduling and event planning, compounding the burden.
- High mental load correlates with more than double the risk of anxiety or depression; the problem intensifies for women caring for aging parents.
- Over 455,000 women left the workforce between January and August 2025 citing caregiving responsibilities.
- Organizations that pair scheduling flexibility with caregiving support and mental health resources see gains across the entire workforce, not just among women.
Read the full article on SHRM: (membership required)
Women Are Already Living Work/Life Integration. Is the Workplace?
