A survey by online job bank yes123 showed that 92.6 percent of working mothers experience “significant” levels of stress, mainly due to the pressure of coping with work and family demands.
According to the poll, among working mothers who reported experiencing significant stress, 18.2 percent said the pressure is “immense and intolerable,” and 74.4 percent said it is “significant, but tolerable.”
In addition, 82.6 percent said they find it “impossible” to be a good employee at work and a good mother at home.
The greatest source of stress for working mothers is not having enough time to meet competing demands from work and home, the poll showed.
Asked to list the things that cause them stress, 72.7 percent of respondents said “doing house chores after work,” 62.8 percent “not having time for my children,” 61.2 percent said “not having time alone,” 59.5 percent said “raising and educating my children,” and 19.8 percent said “not having time to spend with my partner.”
Additionally, 57.9 percent of respondents said they do not have days off throughout the year; among those who do, the average is three days in a year.
The survey also showed that 87.6 percent of working mothers had thought of leaving their family behind to “catch their breath.”
A majority, or 58 percent, of respondents believe that workplace and familial obligations are equal contributors to their stress, while 23.2 percent pointed to their families as the source and 18.8 percent to their career.
The working moms gave their performance at work an average of 71.3 points out of 100, but only 58 points for their performance as mothers, the poll showed.
A vast majority of respondents said they found it “impossible” to strike a balance between career and home life, and 44.6 percent said that Taiwan’s workplace culture is “not friendly” to working mothers.
Among mothers who have requested days off to care for their children, 58.7 percent said they experienced opposition at work.
The working moms were also asked what gifts they most or least look forward to on Mother’s Day, which falls on Sunday.
According to the poll, 50.4 percent of respondents opted for cash, 47.9 percent favored a trip abroad, 23.1 percent liked domestic travel, 22.3 percent favored a spa session and 19 percent chose a family photograph.
The least popular gifts are a bouquet of flowers, with a disapproval rating of 43.8 percent, followed by micro-cosmetic surgery with 31.4 percent, kitchenware with 25.6 percent, jewelry 23.1 percent and designer handbags 21.5 percent.
The online survey was conducted from April 12 to 22, with 1,089 valid responses collected.
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