
What women at Microsoft face, and why many leave - woodhull
https://www.seattletimes.com/business/microsoft/i-felt-so-alone-what-women-at-microsoft-face-and-why-many-leave/
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rhapsodic

      Steeped in a workaholic culture that more than once had her
      sleeping on the office couch, she was afraid of missing her 
      school-age daughter’s childhood.
    
      “I discovered how important family was,” she said. So she 
      quit.
    

That sounds entirely understandable. Most of the driven, workaholic types I've
known over the course of my lifetime have been men.

But I don't think we should outlaw, or even demonize workaholic cultures like
the one described.

~~~
peterhadlaw
I think we should make sure to let people do what makes them truly happy. It
should be okay for someone to prioritize their family over a job if that's
what they want to do.

There's a strong movement, through social pressures, making it not "okay" to
do that.

Just like it should be okay to be a workaholic if that's what helps you sleep,
on the couch, at night

~~~
rhapsodic
_> Just like it should be okay to be a workaholic if that's what helps you
sleep, on the couch, at night_

The problem is that workaholic men who put their career ahead of their family
do better in their career than women who put their family first. So the social
pressure is for men to change their life choices, and companies to change
their cultures, to accommodate women.

~~~
peterhadlaw
> <class A> who prioritizes their career do better, _in their career_ , than
> <class B> who prioritizes something other than their career>.

Is that not how things are supposed to work?

~~~
rhapsodic
_> Is that not how things are supposed to work?_

Yes, in my view. Not, apparently, in the collective view of our society. If
that happens too much in a particular company, like Microsoft, they're subject
to government pressure and unfavorable public scrutiny like this article. We
simply cannot allow companies to have hard-driving, workaholic cultures if it
means that most of the benefits accrue to men rather than women.

Popular media is constantly reminding me that woman are strong, invincible,
fierce and independent. And yet I'm also constantly told that men have to
change their behaviors to accommodate women.

