If you gave your wife the option of working less hours...

[Joey_V]

If you gave your wife the option of working less hours - say 20h/wk instead of 40h/wk...

Would this be an insult?

or

Would this be a nice gesture from her husband?

or

[htc8p]

there's a catch. there's always a catch.

like a mayweather sucker punch

[Joey_V]

Originally Posted by htc8p

there's a catch. there's always a catch.

like a mayweather sucker punch

What's the catch?

[Andad]

Joey is obviously not married.

38 minutes gone and no results.

There are some clever guys on this Forum.

[Joey_V]

Originally Posted by directioneng

Joey is obviously not married.

I am!! 1.5 years!!

LOL!!

[Spunga]

Your asking the wrong people.

Your going to just have to ask her!!!

I don't believe you could possibly insult her by throwing the idea up for discussion. However, that all depends on how you present the idea to her.

Good luck.

[Joey_V]

Originally Posted by directioneng

38 minutes gone and no results.

There are some clever guys on this Forum.

Maybe I should have placed another poll choice...

"I would not recommend this plan of action."

[Andad]

Haha.

Are you talking about the work your wife does:

at home??
for others??
at home + for others??

[Joey_V]

Originally Posted by directioneng

Haha.

Are you talking about the work your wife does:

at home??
for others??
at home + for others??

My wife is a pharmacist.

[Andad]

So your wife cuts her hours in half and you make up her pay to the original amount - I vote YES.

YOU ARE THE MAN JOEY.

[Joey_V]

Originally Posted by directioneng

So your wife cuts her hours in half and you make up her pay to the original amount - I vote YES.

YOU ARE THE MAN JOEY.

Basically... yes. I make sure that my salary covers the loss in her salary but I gain a wife who is less stressed with work and less involved in this rat race.

I still only work 40h/wk.

[Andad]

Don't be late with the weekly payment and you should be good to go.

[Runnin' Rebel]

I think that would be awesome for her and a great gesture on your behalf. Nothing worse then a stressed out wife/girlfriend.

I personally wouldn't offer cause mine kinda likes her job and she likes shoes and purses way to much, but she does stress out after a 3 day trip, and her benifts are top notch. And I have enough on my plate with tuition for my daughter.

Good luck

[Bangel]

Originally Posted by Joey_V

Basically... yes. I make sure that my salary covers the loss in her salary but I gain a wife who is less stressed with work and less involved in this rat race.

I still only work 40h/wk.

That's a terrific reason. Life is too short to be doing what you don't completely enjoy, but sometimes there is no choice. If you have the option of having your wife working less and she shares this desire, then go for it, absolutely.

It may be a bad move, however, if you subsequently come home from work and complain that your dinner is cold and that she was too slow in putting on your slippers!

[Joey_V]

Originally Posted by Bangel

That's a terrific reason. Life is too short to be doing what you don't completely enjoy, but sometimes there is no choice. If you have the option of having your wife working less and she shares this desire, then go for it, absolutely.

It may be a bad move, however, if you subsequently come home from work and complain that your dinner is cold and that she was too slow in putting on your slippers!

I knew someone was going to say that...

[chicfarmer1]

Gosh, there's no easy answer to how it would be received. If she gave you that option, would you be insulted or pleased? I'm in favor of everyone working less at the income-producing job, women and men, but that's not practical in some professions, income brackets, and individual households.

Does she get a lot of pride and fulfillment in her job, so that lessening it would make her less happy? Does she want to feel that her income is valued in the household, so that lessening it would impact how she feels? Does changing hours reduce her marketability if she would need to return full time to the workforce--and might that bother her? Or would she, like any sane person (), simply say "Yay!!" Outsiders here can't know these factors.

[Dedot]

As a woman, my answer is.. it depends.
What's the ulterior motive :)? You mentioned that you are somewhat newly married. Are you trying to manage her stress level so that maybe.. in the near future, you are planning to expand your family then??

[Cru Jones]

there's no way to answer this question i'm afraid without knowing the woman.

do you happen to have a sense at least of which way she would go? does she like her job and want to make a career out of it? does she wish she had more time for other hobbies? does she dream of not working some day? does she like the sense of independence the job gives her? etc. etc.

if you're approaching this from the angle of what you can get out of it (wife that is less stressed/rat race), then, IMHO, you should tread lightly.

[QueueCumber]

It is benevolent sexism to offer to let her work less hours; you should work less hours instead.

[Dr.Brian]

My wife does whatever she wants. She worked full time for years, cut back for a while, did consulting, back to full time, now she's a regional manager for a medical device company. She took several months off and was miserable. She's much happier working, and I think she likes the travel.
We're fortunate to have options.
What does she want to do? Happy wife, happy life my friend.
Just a thought, but if you're recently married and still getting your financials going (home, emergency fund, student loans, retirement, etc.) she might not really want to cut back yet. There's something to be said for making hay while the sun shines.

[ratae1950]

Originally Posted by QueueCumber

It is benevolent sexism to offer to let her work less hours; you should work less hours instead.

I am with you.

The initial question comes across that way [hopefully not intended]. In my relationship neither of us give the other options....

[figbo]

I'm staying far away from this one...

[wantonebad]

Originally Posted by QueueCumber

It is benevolent sexism to offer to let her work less hours; you should work less hours instead.

Yeah this seems like some kind of caveman discussion from the set of Mad Men or something. I don't follow the sentiment of husband=father=master. If that's not what was implied I apologize but that's what I'm interpreting. My wife and I are a team, no captain really we take on different management functions for the team. No one gets preferential treatment and if I made enough to support her fully I would but not because I could or should but because she would most likely be going back to school or starting a business, and if the roles were reversed she would do the same and expect the same. JMHO but I don't care what era it is or how much money you make, everyone needs to do something with their life and be productive, raise a family, cure cancer, teach Jocke to speak English, something...

[kilyung]

I'd leave it up to her. She may like working despite outward signs of stress or anxiety.

[threemonkeys]

My wife does not work. But we looked at the option of her working or not working as somewhat of a mutual decision. The same would apply if she were working and deciding to cut back hours. I would not really consider this as her being 'given' the option, however, as she has always had a choice.

[Joey_V]

I asked the wife and she was happy!!

Yes! Thread lightly indeed... great advice folks!

No ulterior motive from my end... well.. maybe another Rolex? LOL!!

[Timber Loftis]

As long as she spends that free time cooking and cleaning, I say go for it!!




/hides

[JasoninDenver]

I say no on behalf of my wife.

How will she be able to keep me in the lifestyle to which I have been accustomed only working part-time????

[colpol]

Originally Posted by Joey_V

Basically... yes. I make sure that my salary covers the loss in her salary but I gain a wife who is less stressed with work and less involved in this rat race.

I still only work 40h/wk.

Difficult one but unless children etc & reason for the cut in hours - Why doesn't your wife just get another job with another company & less stress ???

[GoldenBear]

It has got to be a team effort. That is the only way it works.