Employers Can Help Put Family First

Thanks for some great letters concerning your theories on the Donna Reed Factor, the phenomenon that men whose wives stay home earn more money and get more promotions than men whose wives work outside the home. Here are a couple of responses; we’ll print more in future columns.

Dawn Smith of Spokane wrote: “I’m a 35-year-old stay-at-home mother of three. I was employed full time for 15 years before I had babies. In my experience, I found that caregivers (of children and elders) tended to spend more time on the phone with personal matters and to miss more time from work. Until all employers realize the importance of putting family first, it seems that people who do will be penalized. More employers need to be open to the idea of tailoring and creating jobs that can be accomplished through telecommunications.”

Margaret Koivula of Spokane wrote: “Our society is war-based and values only power and money. A man whose wife stays home is seen as the dominating force in his family and is, therefore, considered more of a player in the work place. Also, children are considered to be expendable. Witness how little we pay teachers and day-care workers. Why bother to pay large sums to protect and enhance something expendable?”

Trend alert: Two weeks ago at the Convention Center in Seattle we spotted a “Massage Bar.” Patrons stuck their faces in a contraption and received a 15-minute, neck-andshoulder massage for $12. Remember, the espresso bar craze began in Seattle, too.

Volunteer power: “Volunteerism in the ‘90s - Changing With the Times” will be the theme of two workshops on volunteerism, cosponsored by Directors of Volunteers in Agencies and United Way’s Volunteer Center. The first workshop, on Feb. 28 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., will address liability and risk-management in non-profit organizations. The second workshop, on March 14, will feature the “care and feeding” of volunteers. For fee schedules and registration information, contact Susan at 458-2469.

She said: “I met a woman at a conference. She had makeup on so thick I could not see her features. The woman was criticizing the Arab women for wearing the veil. I said to her: `You have a veil, too. The makeup - call it a post-modern veil.”’ Egyptian writer Nawal El Saadawi.