Tech work has a perception of long hours, hard work, and being on-call, right or wrong.  There are many reasons both negative and positive for why this is true.  People expect systems to be up all the time, and if a system goes down it means all hands on deck to fix the problem.  Tech projects tend to be large and complex, which many different pieces that have to be coordinated and may lead to long hours trying to figure out solutions for problems.  Tech jobs require focus, it is not a job that is easy to set down and pick back up quickly if distractions occur.  We know tech workers have to be on top of their game which means keeping up to date with skills that might have to be done outside of the workday.  And many tech workers love the challenge and will willingly work extra hours to solve a problem.

All of these things make it difficult for anyone that has priorities and interests outside of work to commit to starting or staying in tech.  Since women are still the primary caregivers for children or aging parents and take the bulk of home duties on, this means a career in tech looks less inviting and achievable.  It also means that if a woman does join tech and chooses or can not work the extra hours, she will be passed over for promotions and projects as “not dedicated enough”.

I have experienced the long hours in my career.  I remember the weeks of taking on-call which meant being called pretty much 24×7 any time a problem occurred and having to work all hours to solve problems.  I remember driving home with the sun rising in a blur having just finished a nearly 22-hour shift staring at a computer screen during an implementation.  This was all before having a child – I can not imagine being able to do that with an infant or small child and already being sleep-deprived!  I also remember being told I was not working hard enough because I wasn’t putting in 50+ hours, regardless of my actual performance!

Remote work and work hour flexibility help with this problem.  Employers are starting to understand that much of tech work can be done remotely for at least part of the time, and not everyone has to work the 8-5 schedule.  There still is the problem of the expectation of working overtime and delivering on unrealistic timelines.  I do not think there are many in tech that are not willing to work hard, and even extra when it matters, but when it starts being expected and demanded all the time that drives people away. 

Work-life balance is very important to everyone, and it does impact some people more than others.  Until we change the culture and perception around the hours required for tech, many women will not consider it a viable career path.

#womenintech