Given the choice, would you rather do the laundry or finish an expense report at the office? While neither task is particularly appealing, men enjoy their jobs less than household chores, according to research. And the reason why involves time.
Women, meanwhile, prefer being at work to taking care of the home. The study is just the latest to show that traditional gender roles are shifting.
A 2015 study of 4,000 employers examined how people spent every 10 minutes throughout the day. Participants aged 16 to 80 recorded almost 111,000 observations about their daily lives. They rated each 10-minute segment on a scale of one to seven with one equaling “not at all” to seven equaling “very much.” On average, men rated their paid work 4.4 and their housework 4.5. In comparison, women rated paid work 4.5 and housework 4.4.
The research was presented during a British Sociological Association employment conference in Belfast, Ireland, on Sept. 14, 2018, by Dr. Pierre Walthery, of the Centre for Time Use Research at the University of Oxford, reports Phys.org.
According to Walthery, the reason why men rated housework as slightly more enjoyable than paid work is that they often feel rushed at their jobs.
Men who were satisfied with their income enjoyed their work more than men who were not (which seems like a pretty obvious conclusion). However, income satisfaction did not affect a woman’s level of enjoyment of her job.
Those who found work most enjoyable were people with a good work-life balance and those who were self-employed.
The occupations men found most enjoyable were media and sports jobs, careers involving culture, and positions in the health and care industry.
The activities that both men and women rated higher than paid work (with a rating of six or seven) included socializing, volunteer work, and attending cultural events.
Work is not always fun, but there are several ways to make a job more enjoyable. First, find an occupation or a project that you enjoy. Also, take a few breaks a day to chat with a coworker or go on a walk. If possible, listen to music (with headphones on). Create an office space that makes you feel good, and at the end of the week reward yourself if you achieved all of your set goals.
