Domestic Logistics: The WFH Partner Service Level Agreement (SLA)

The Hidden Problem of Shared Space

When both partners work from home, something subtle happens.

You don’t fight about work.
You fight about logistics.

Who gets interrupted? Who handles sick days? Who makes lunch? Who hears the kid crying first? Who’s allowed to “focus”?

Without realizing it, most WFH couples fall into:

• One default parent
• One default worker

And neither role is explicitly chosen.

It just… happens.

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Why WFH Creates More Resentment (Not Less)

Remote work removes physical boundaries.

Which sounds great.

Until every responsibility becomes negotiated in real time:

• “Can you grab them?”
• “I’m in a meeting.”
• “So am I.”
• “Well, mine is with my boss.”
• “Mine is with a client.”

This constant micro-negotiation is exhausting.

Not because anyone is lazy —
but because the system is undefined.

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Introducing the Family SLA

In tech, an SLA (Service Level Agreement) defines:

• Responsibilities
• Response times
• Escalation rules
• Ownership

You need the same thing at home.

A Family SLA is a simple written agreement that answers:

When something happens, who is on point?

Not emotionally. Not situationally. Contractually.

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The 4 Sections of a Family SLA

You can fit this on one page.

Seriously.

1. Default Roles

Who is responsible by default for:

• Morning routine
• School drop-off
• Meals
• Bedtime
• Sick kids
• House logistics

This doesn’t mean one person does everything. It means someone owns each domain.

Ownership beats ambiguity.

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2. Focus-Time Blocks

Define protected work time.

Example:

Partner A

• Deep work: 9–11am
• Meetings: flexible
• Emergency interrupts only

Partner B

• Deep work: 1–3pm
• On-call for kids: mornings

Now no one has to ask: “Can I focus right now?”

It’s already agreed.

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3. Handoff Rules

This is where most friction lives.

Define rules like:

• Meeting > async work
• External > internal
• One interruption per hour max
• Text before entering office

You’re not preventing interruptions. You’re standardizing them.

Which removes emotional charge.

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4. Escalation Protocol

What happens when both are busy?

Pre-decide:

• Which meetings are uninterruptible?
• When does TV become acceptable?
• When does a sitter get called?
• When does work get rescheduled?

If the rule exists before the crisis, there is no argument during it.

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The Psychological Shift That Matters

This isn’t about chores.

It’s about mental load.

The default parent isn’t tired from tasks. They’re tired from constant cognitive ownership.

The Family SLA does one powerful thing:

It makes labor visible, named, and shared.

Which turns resentment into systems.

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Recommended Tool: Shared Digital Family Planner

The fastest way to make a Family SLA real is to externalize it.

A shared planner lets you:

• See each other’s meetings
• Block focus time
• Schedule handoffs
• Track responsibilities

Without constant verbal negotiation.

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The 30-Minute Family SLA Workshop

Do this once. Save months of friction.

Step 1 — Brain Dump (10 min)

Each partner writes:

• Everything they currently handle
• Everything they feel responsible for

Compare lists. This is usually eye-opening.

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Step 2 — Assign Ownership (10 min)

For each category:

• One owner
• One backup
• One escalation rule

No shared ownership. Shared ownership means no ownership.

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Step 3 — Schedule Focus (10 min)

Block:

• Deep work time
• On-call time
• Flex time

Put it in your calendars.

Now it’s real.

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The Real Win

The goal isn’t 50/50.

The goal is predictability and fairness.

WFH only works long-term if:

• Both partners can focus
• Both partners feel supported
• Neither partner feels like the default

The Family SLA doesn’t make your life perfect.

But it turns chaos into coordination.

And coordination is the real productivity hack for working parents.