The working women class in India goes through an extensive change and adjustment after marriage. There are concerns like,
“Will my in-laws allow me to continue working after marriage?”
Will I be able to handle my matrimonial responsibilities with my job?”
The concept of marriage is evolving today. It has come a long way from women staying at home the whole time and taking care of the family. Now, women try and contribute to the income of the family and the conventional roles of man and woman in a family have diverged in a significant way.
With women becoming more self-dependent and equally competent with their male counterparts, it has become more common than ever for women to continue to work after they get married. But this continuation comes with a few adjustments and compromises. Once a woman gets married, the late night office parties are a ban, getting back home early becomes very important and waking up super early in the morning to prepare breakfast and pack lunch for husband and in-laws becomes a strict routine.
Once the dear lady falls into this routine, it still becomes easier to manage. But then, there are some who might just need a break and set everything straight before they join work. A sabbatical could vary from 2 months’ break to a 5-year long stay. Some make the argument that taking a sabbatical puts the employee out of touch, and the change of personal scene can affect their working capabilities. But such an argument is never heard for male employees. The rejoining female employees may feel awkward at the starting of their rejoining period but with time all with a little brush-up things get into the track. The counter argument that the working women can pose is that a break gives them a new perspective of things, the gap from work can actually be an advantage for helping them make a professional comeback, they feel refreshed and energised; inspiring more women to take up their jobs after marriage.
A sabbatical from work is not necessarily for a new marriage; it also extends to women dealing with complications in their matrimony. Sometimes, the matchmaking doesn’t turn out to be compatible. And with the empowered women in India not afraid to take control of their life, second marriages are also a facet to explore; but none of this should interfere with the company’s decision for letting a female employee to resume working. Second Shaadi doesn’t necessarily imply infidelity, but sometimes the matrimony doesn’t work due to flawed matchmaking.
A break from work becomes a necessity when going through separation or divorce. And with the increase in divorcee matrimony rate, the companies too have to evolve their policies for sabbatical and resumption. With the change in dynamics of relationships, matrimony and working conditions, it is especially difficult for Indian working women to keep up. But they are not afraid to fight back and are thriving in the business world.
matrimony
Rejoining Work After a Marriage Sabbatical
