The Blurring Lines

Between Self and

Work

Dorothy Spence

Imaginal Ventures

• First time since the Industrial

Revolution that we are

working from home.

• The societal structures and

constructs of work are

designed for the separation of

work and home.

Context

The Research• Women make up over 80% of the non-

profit workforce.

• Almost 100,000 women left the

workforce completely since the

pandemic began. That is 10 times more

than the number of men. In a study of

4000 working and stay at home parents,

fathers reported a weekly average of 46

hours of childcare duties and mothers 95

hours.

Discussion #1

• What fears do I have at the basic needs level?

• How can I shift this to trust?

Shifting from fear to trust to build resilience

• Research from the Canadian Endelman Trust Barometer 2021 shows that the

pandemic has added to societal fears.

• 75% of Canadians are concerned or are fearful about job loss.

• Pandemic fears impede return to the workplace

• 60% are choosing to work from home due to the COVID 19 risk in

commuting and in the office.

• 40% are choosing to return to the office because they feel they are more

productive

Shifting from fear to trust to build resilience

• Crisis of leadership in building trust in Canada

• Trust has eroded in all of our major societal institutions: religious, CEO’s,

government leaders, journalists and people in my local community.

• Trust is local. My employer is the most trusted source. Employer

communication is the most believable of all information sources.

Creating Boundaries

• Porous or Rigid? • Protection• Emotional, energetic,

time, financial, physical, intellectual

Creating Boundaries

Discussion #2

How do you create

boundaries between

home and work?

Resources1. https://www.edelman.ca/sites/g/files/aatuss376/files/trust-barometer/2021 Canadian Edelman Trust

Barometer_0.pdf

2. http://www.rbc.com/economics/economic-reports/pdf/other-reports/women in labour

force.pdf?_ga=2.74982098.1128564841.1617019249-1018388559.1552504057

3. Future of Good article: One year into the pandemic, how are the social sector’s working mothers

doing?

4. https://www.amandarocheleau.com/free-resources