Life-Career Interface Initiative

Time-Stretcher Services

Balancing career and personal life are foremost issues for both men and women in academe, but particularly for women who continue to assume the predominant responsibility for household management and childcare. WISELI will 1) work with Joan Gillman (Dir. Special Industry Programs) and a student in Journalism to compile available time-saving services currently available (e.g., all home delivered services) and make this publication available to everyone at UW-Madison, and 2) work with Professor Anne Miner (UW Business School) to explore a UW-Community partnership to develop a Time-Stretcher Service. This service would enable women and men working for UW-Madison to hire individuals to run simple tasks that would take time away from activities important to their personal or professional development.

Update: Our research quickly uncovered a similar business already available on campus: Errand Solutions. Located at the UW Hospital and Clinics, their services include oil changes, mailing packages, gift wrapping, buying tickets, film developing, shoe repair and more. As a result, WISELI has not pursued this initiative further.

Additional links of interest: