Two hard-working fathers I respect told me this weekend that they chose family over work as Hurricane Irene barreled toward the Northeast, and both wondered if it would somehow doom their careers.

One dad who works for a regional power company told his boss he wouldn’t be able to come to work Saturday if he was needed because he wanted to be with his family when the storm hit. And the other dad, who works for a major technology firm, made the choice to take half a day off on Friday to help prepare his home; a decision his manager did not appreciate because a key project was due.

Neither man regretted their decisions, that I’m sure played out with many families along the eastern coast this weekend. But when you make such choices there are consequences; something working mothers know all too well. The Working Mommy Trap has been a fixture of the work world for decades, the only difference is now dads are also starting to fall into it; and it could be even more deadly fathers. (more…)