Work Matters Audiobook Libro.fm

Description

This audiobook narrated by Katherine Fenton explores how new parents in lowwage jobs juggle the demands of work and childcareLowwage workers make up the largest group of employed parents in the United States yet scant attention has been given to their experiences as new mothers and fathers Work Matters brings the unique stories of these diverse individuals to light Drawing on years of research and more than fifteen hundred family interviews Maureen PerryJenkins describes how new parents cope with the demands of infant care while holding down lowwage fulltime jobs and she considers how managing all of these responsibilities have longterm implications for child development She examines why some parents and children thrive while others struggle demonstrates how specific job conditions impact parental engagement and child wellbeing and discusses commonsense and affordable ways that employers can provide supportIn the United States federal parental leave policy is unfunded As a result many new parents particularly hourly workers return to their jobs just weeks after giving birth because they cannot afford not to Not surprisingly workplace policies that offer parents flexibility and leave time are crucial But PerryJenkins shows that the time parents spend at work also matters Their daytoday experiences on the job such as relationships with supervisors and coworkers job autonomy and time pressures have longterm consequences for parents mental health the quality of their parenting and ultimately the health of their childrenAn overdue look at an important segment of the parenting population Work Matters proposes ways to reimagine lowwage work to sustain new families and the development of future generations