Introduction—Topic and Scope of Report
During the 1950s and 1960s, married couples usually followed the traditional route of their era—Dad would be the sole wage-earner, and Mom would stay home to raise the children.
Times have changed, and today both parents often work outside the home. Some reasons cited for this trend are financial necessity and the desire of many women to pursue their career goals. When these dual-income couples decide to start a family, one of the issues they must grapple with is whether they will both continue to work after the children are born.
One of the main factors influencing this decision is monetary, leading many couples to ask: how much does it actually cost to work outside the home? I intend to prepare a cost analysis report detailing all of the expenses for those who continue to work outside the home while raising their children. I will also compare the advantages and disadvantages of maintaining a career versus giving it up or postponing it to raise a family.
In addition, I will describe some alternatives to working outside the home, such as telecommuting, flexible hours, and job-sharing, that will allow parents to both maintain their careers and care for their children without using day care.
Primary Audience Profile
My cost-analysis report will target the following audience: married couples who have one or more child(ren) under age five, who are expecting their first child, or who are planning to have a child (or children).
This audience represents a generation of couples who want to raise their children within a socioeconomic level that meets or exceeds the socioeconomic level in which they were raised. Unlike the majority of their parents, many of today's spouses must both work. These working parents often struggle with feelings of guilt over issues such as how much—or how little—time they spend with their children, how to effectively balance career goals with parenting responsibilities, and how to choose child care that will be safe and nurturing for their children.
I will focus my analysis on the costs incurred by the woman because she is usually the parent who opts to stay home to care for the children. However, these figures can easily be adjusted to reflect the man's costs. I will use the following profile to determine the actual work-related expenses. The parent
- earns an annual pretax income of $35,000
- resides in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area
- commutes 30 minutes to her job
- holds a position that requires her to wear business clothing
- plans to use a commercial daycare provider
Because this report will be available to a large audience with a varied cultural and technical background, I will write this document as an issue paper that can be adapted to a publication article geared to the general public.
Secondary Audience Profile
This cost-analysis report will also provide valuable information for employers who want to retain their employees.
Many companies, especially the ultracompetitive high-technology firms, invest a lot of money and time to train their employees. In return for their investment, these companies expect their employees to be hard working, dedicated, and loyal.
Smart companies know that to keep these valuable employees productive, they must find ways to help them balance their work obligations with their family obligations.
In addition, day care providers will find this report helpful in determining their fees, operating hours, and day care center locations.
Purpose of Report
The purpose of this report is to give working couples a realistic view of the costs associated with working outside the home. Armed with this information, they will be able to determine how much income they will actually realize after deducting these expenses. This report will also describe alternative work arrangements that couples can use when making work and child care decisions.
Detail and Format of Report
Because of the varied technical and cultural backgrounds of both the primary and secondary audiences, this report will be comprehensive; however, I will use subheadings and white space to divide the report into sections. This format will give readers the option of reading only the sections that meet their particular needs.