Q: I'm a working mother and have been struggling with the whole work/life balance issue.  The company I work for proclaims they value work/life balance and even describe their commitment in both new employee orientation and in our handbook.  However in reality, this is farthest from the truth.  I'm now giving up my weekends and nights due to work-related issues, while being bombarded on my blackberry, cell phone and pager.  I've also recently went to lunch with another co-worker, who happens to be  male, and he admitted he was also recently feeling pressure to miss out on his son's baseball games and other events, due to demanding work issues.  We both have the feeling our employer is reacting this way due to two reasons:  one, as employees in this economy,  we have limited power to go elsewhere and two, with our recent layoffs the work still needs to be completed with less people-power.  Financially I need this job, however I don't want my family to sacrifice any longer.  My children look at me with those sad eyes, each night after dinner, as I then trott my way upstairs to the den to answer e-mails.

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