ABSTRACT
Francesca works in an office supply store, part of a nationwide chain. She runs a small department that makes copies and performs simple printing jobs, such as business cards. She thought she was getting a “normal” job in which she would work 40 hours a week and leave her work behind when she was off duty.2 She has three children, whose ages range from 3 to 11 years. Her ex-husband used to take care of their children on alternate weekends and would pick them up from day care or school and watch them on those days when she had to work late. He also was the one who took the older children to swimming lessons and to soccer and baseball practice. Four months ago, just as Francesca’s employer was facing increasing competition and requiring more and more overtime and weekend work, her exhusband’s National Guard unit was called up for extended service in Afghanistan. He will be gone at least a year, and Francesca’s employer sees no end to the increased work demands. Her boss says she cannot hire additional workers without approval from the head office and there is not a chance of that happening. Francesca is making more money than she ever imagined, but the strain of overworking, plus caring for her children and her house, has her feeling depressed, anxious, and full of resentment.
