Blog Series: #1 Rethinking Compatibility of family & work - Why we've been talking about work-life balance for decades – and the problem remains unresolved

We have been talking about the compatibility of family and career for decades.

In political debates. In corporate strategies. In social discussions.

Important steps were taken during this time. Part-time work models were expanded. Flexible working hours were introduced. Working from home has become established in many sectors.

And yet, for many families, reconciling work and family life remains a daily challenge.

Many parents know this feeling: The calendar is organized, childcare is planned, work is structured – and there is always the impression that something doesn't quite fit together.

Perhaps the problem isn't that families aren't organized enough. Perhaps it's that we're trying to solve work-life balance issues within a system that was originally designed for a different reality.

When life realities change faster than systems

Historically, the working world of many Western societies is based on a relatively clear role model: one parent works full-time, while the other organizes a large portion of the care work. This model has long shaped structures such as working hours, career paths, and leadership styles. Today, the reality for many families looks different. In Switzerland, the female employment rate is around 80 percent – one of the highest in Europe. At the same time, many mothers work part-time, while a large proportion of fathers continue to work full-time. This shows that families have long since adapted their lifestyles. However, work structures, career paths, and societal expectations often evolve more slowly. This is precisely where the tension arises that many families experience daily.

Compatibility of family & work as an individual organizational achievement

Much of today's discussion about compatibility of family & work focuses on individual solutions. How do parents organize their time? How do they coordinate childcare and work? How do they structure their daily routines? These questions are important, but they don't go far enough.

Because if compatibility is primarily achieved through personal organization, a structural imbalance arises: Families bear the brunt of the adjustments. They adapt their working hours, reduce their workload, and organize childcare networks. In contrast, companies and societal systems often remain largely unchanged. This leads to work-life balance functioning on an individual level, but rarely becoming structurally stable.

The real question is: How do we design work?

Perhaps the crucial shift in perspective therefore lies not in the question of how families organize work-life balance, but in a different question:

How do we design work in a society where family and paid work are simultaneously a reality?

This question doesn't just concern parents.

It concerns:

• Companies that need employees who are committed in the long term

• Societies that want to promote equality

• Economies that rely on skilled workers

If we design work in such a way that it fits real lifestyles, work-life balance will no longer be the exception – but the norm.

The three systems of compatibility

At Mom2MomBusiness, we therefore do not consider work-life balance from just one perspective.

It arises from the interplay of three systems:

Family – this is where real-life situations develop. The world of work – this is where expectations of work are defined. Society – this is where framework conditions and norms are established.

When one of these systems changes – but the others do not – tension arises.

That's exactly what many families are experiencing today.

What true compatibility of family & work means

True compatibility is not achieved through a single measure.

It arises from a change of perspective.

Work is no longer designed exclusively around organizations – but also around life realities.

This means, for example:

• Define roles more by responsibility than by presence

• To give greater consideration to life phases

• Flexibility should be understood not as an exception, but as an integral part of modern work.

These changes don't just affect families. They affect the fundamental way we understand work.

True compatibility begins where systems take real-life situations into account – instead of treating them as exceptions.

An invitation to further reflection

This blog series is therefore not a collection of tips for better time management. It is an invitation to consider work-life balance from a broader perspective. Families bring the reality. Companies shape work models. Society creates the framework.

When these three perspectives come together, new possibilities arise.

At Mom2MomBusiness, we work precisely at these points of connection – families, employers, and societal frameworks. Because true work-life balance doesn't arise from individual adjustments alone. It arises where we begin to develop systems together .