[FlamesAddiction]

I'm sitting here at my work desk (working late again) just fuming about something I see as work place double standard. I'll try to explain...

One of my co-workers (call him "Joe") recently had a baby, and as is his right in the Province of Ontario, he decided to take a paternity leave. That's fine and it didn't bother me in itself, even if his wife is a writer for television show and works from home anyway, but I digress... I can see why a new father would want to be close to home for the first bit.

The problem is that he left me a tonne of work that should have been done. In fact, I cancelled my summer holidays and am taking them in the fall now because I know that I am going to be drowning in work in July and August. I was talking to my boss today and commented that I was really busy, but that at least I could hand back the work when "Joe" gets back from paternity leave in August. She then told me that it wasn't a good idea because she knew that after she had her kids, all she wanted to do was get home on time everyday to make sure everything was fine and that "Joe" will not have the extra afterhours time needed to manage these projects (and as many "billable" jobs are, you often work a 10 hour day just to be billable for 8). Then she told me that he is also taking a 2 week vacation just 5 days after he comes back... after I cancelled mine in order to take on his clients.

Does anyone else feel that having children should not give you special treatment or more rope at your job? From my perspective, I doubt that I will ever have kids due to a medical issue with my wife, but the thing that gets me in that it seems like people think that because I don't have children, that I don't have a life or that my private time is less valuable.

Before anyone says it, I actually do like my job and the people I work with, and I also doubt that it is different anywhere else. I'm just ranting because it feels good to get it out I guess.