As the Breadwinner, Would you Return to Work For a Pay Cut?

The Wall Street Journal's blog "The Juggle" discusses a great question (and a touchy one) today: Would you sacrifice pay to be able to return to work? And while this resonates most with mothers, at some level it is a question all of us could face one day.

The blog cites a Center for Work-Life Policy study conducted in 2004 among 3,096 college-educated people that reported that, "skilled women who drop out of the workforce for three or more years earn an average 37% less after returning, compared with those who didn’t take career breaks." But, today many more women are in senior positions and much earlier in their careers as well. Last month, I wrote about a recent study that reported an 18% increase in the number of wives who earn more than their husbands since 1970. If you belong to this percentage, would you still sacrifice pay in order to return to work post a longer-than-the-bare-minimum maternity leave?

Read the complete post on and talk to us. While the post has a law focus, the reality applies to most industries. What would you do? Or did? Write to In Good Company, follow us on Twitter or leave a comment. Let's make this a discussion!