A bitter-sweet life for working couples

Double income couples in India are indeed leading a bitter-sweet life "" one in three such couples believe that divergent opinion due to two careers raises chances of divorce, but a majority of over eight in 10 are still satisfied with their work-family balance.

According to a survey conducted by global research firm Synovate for the country's leading staffing firm TeamLease Services, the overall satisfaction level of working couples is as high as 87 per cent across India.

At the same time, the survey found that 34 per cent of the couples felt that two careers "substantially increase the chances of a difference of opinion leading to divorce".

While those seeing higher chances of divorce due to both partners being in jobs were still in a minority, a majority of 63 per cent agreed that fights were common on issues like quality time and work travel in such families.

Delhi emerged as the only exception where only about 56 per cent respondents disagreed about fights being common in the double-income families. The survey was conducted on working corporate executives married with or without kids across five cities "" Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, and Hyderabad.

Notwithstanding the high satisfaction levels about the overall work-life balance, a majority of 52 per cent said that, given a chance, they would go for a "less lavish life" with one spouse working but satisfactory marital relationship, as against 48 per cent opting for a "luxury life where both husband and wife are working".

Those living in Pune and Delhi came tops in terms of preference for a luxury life, while people in Hyderabad, Bangalore and Mumbai mostly voted in favour of single income but satisfactory marital relations.

In Delhi, 66 per cent prefer a double-income luxury life, while it is as high as 88 per cent in Pune. However in Hyderabad, 95 per cent said they wanted a single-income, less lavish life.

According to the survey, while a growing number of men are becoming actively involved in sharing family responsibilities, including rearing a child, a large number of such couples have become "week-end parents".

Across the country, at least 54 per cent of those surveyed said they were becoming "week-end parents", with Bangalore and Mumbai as exceptions and Pune, Hyderabad and Delhi coming on the top of the heap.

The survey comes amid a sharp surge in the number of working couples with increased urbanisation, lower education dropout by women and the need for two incomes driving higher labour force participation by women.

"This survey highlights the bitter-sweet implications of two careers. The stress on marriages and childcare is often perceived to blunt the economic upside," TeamLease's Permanent Staffing General Manager Surabhi Mathur said.

"The continued difficulties for women looking to re-enter the workforce after a child break and the high unwillingness to move cities to follow their spouses' careers highlights the continued challenges for women spouses in the Indian workplace," Mathur said.

Barring Delhi and Pune, in other cities both spouses share the responsibility to take care of the child.

As much as 43 per cent of Delhi parents do not attend their children's school function. However, 46 per cent mothers in Delhi and 78 per cent in Pune attend such functions.

The verdict was divided on whether working in same organisation improves or reduces the quality of work-life balance. While 48 per cent said it led to improvement, 21 per cent voted against it and another 26 per cent did not see any impact at all.

However, a vast majority of 70 per cent replied in the affirmative when asked whether the Indian companies had flexible working policies for employees to maintain a work-life balance. The satisfaction level on this front was highest in Pune (88 per cent), while Mumbai came at the bottom (64 per cent).