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15 | Redefining Work-Life Balance As the distinction between work and personal life has become increasingly blurred, women in engineering leadership face a silent crisis—burnout. As the pressure to excel in their careers while juggling family responsibilities mounts, 34 percent of women feel burned out, compared to just 26 percent of men reporting the same. 1 The problem runs even deeper than one might initially expect. Startling new data reveal that women who have embraced the flexibility of part-time remote work are bearing the brunt of this burnout epidemic, with a shocking 38 percent of women at an even higher burnout risk. In contrast, those who work full-time from the office or home fare slightly better, at 34 percent and 31 percent respectively. 2 As the quest for the elusive work- life balance escalates, women in engineering are refusing to accept burnout as an inevitable consequence of their career choices. They are challenging the notion that reducing work hours or changing locations is the ultimate solution, recognizing that these temporary fixes often fall short of addressing the root cause of the problem. Step Away and Come Back Jacqueline Olson, head of Americas Automotive Sales at Wolfspeed, loves working. When her two kids were young, she returned to work after each was born. "I enjoyed my job and wanted to get back to work as soon as possible," says Olson. "I was working from 7:30 to 5:30 every day. When my oldest daughter was thirteen, my husband and I decided that one of us needed to be more present for the teenage years." Both Olson and her husband had big jobs. But after several discussions and much thinking, they decided she would be the one to take a step back for a few years. "I stopped working for five years but kept busy and learned plenty." At that time, Olson wrote a grant for the Rotary Foundation, volunteered, and was available to help with the kids' needs. But the fear Olson felt from taking time off was overwhelming. "I worried I wouldn't be able to return when the time was right," says Olson. "I had so much fear that I would be left behind in my career, but I knew that being with my daughters was the priority at the time. When it was time to return, I found a role as an individual contributor. Then I worked up the ranks and caught up," says Olson. She advises others in the same position, "Don't think your life is over if you stop working for some

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