But this is a double-edged sword for folks like me, too.
I'm presently earning $15K a year less than my counterparts across the country, based on the latest salary survey. Am I upset?
Heck, no!
I have the flexibility to make my own hours. In exchange for lower pay, I can, like you said, attend to the needs of my family and be there for my kiddos (my babies came late in life and they are my top priority).
In return, if it means working until 2:00 AM to get the job done, I do it. If it means giving up weekends to be there for a famiy event during the week, I do it. If it means some weeks are 80 hours a week and others are 30, no problem.
But that is my choice. It works for me, my family. And since I love my job and the people I serve, I always give my best. My board is very happy with my performance: eleven national awards, explosive growth, fiscally sound year after year, and being recognized as one of the best in the country by my peers based on quantifiable results.
If my board was forced to give me the same amount of money, I would lose the flexibility that I so love about my job. I would be forced to hire people to shuttle my kids to school and watch them afterwards. That money would go to daycare and taxes, and not increase the quality of my family's life on IOTA.
STUPID, STUPID, STUPID law!
That is good that you can have the work/life balance that every company talks about but few actually deliver; I would take salary surveys with a grain of salt as well (they’re not very precise).
Good luck!