“Talk to your manager – Propose alternate work arrangements that not only provide better work/life balance, but positively impact productivity. Suggest compressed work-weeks, flexible hours that let you start earlier and leave earlier and telecommuting.”

Thanks to my doing just that, I’m now one of the increasing number of unemployed workers. I was laid off after 19 years. Thanks to ‘Lean Business Systems” more and more companies are simply requiring workers to work and ever increasing amount of overtime. I attempted to keep up. I brought my son to work on weekends. There were even times that, because of a deadline, I returned to work after picking him up from after-school care to finish a project. More than a few Fridays were spent coming back in at his bedtime and having him sleep next to me while I worked until 3am to get a project finished. I did all I could to keep up with my employer’s demand of my time. As I spent more and more time at work, my son’s behavioral issues became increasingly worse. Finally, I asked my manager about other positions requiring less overtime. I was willing to take a pay cut if necessary. All my cried for help fell apon deaf ears and weeks after that fateful conversation, I was unceremoniously dumped.

A bit of background, I’m a lone parent of an 8yo son who has slight physical and behavioral problems due to brain damage he received after being shaken at 3 months of age by his father.