Employees chasing work life balance, your schedule is not as fixed as you think.
You might be on salary.
You might be in management.
You might be trying to move up.
But your hours are still not fully yours.
There are days you plan your time, then a call comes in.
You are needed on a Saturday.
You stay late to hit a deadline.
I have had moments where I had to tell my wife, I cannot make it, work came up.
That is not rare.
That is normal in most W2 roles.
Yes, you can push back.
But saying no can cost you opportunities, or even your position.
So the trade off is simple.
You get structure, but you give up control of your time.
How often does your job change your schedule at the last minute?