does working improve or undermine a couple's relationship? the answer depends on a number of things. one is the nature of the wife's job. long hours, frequent travel, or a demanding boss can spill over into family stress. A second factor is attitudes towards the gender roles, whether traditional, egalitarian, or transitional employed wives tend to be happier and healthier than full-time homemakers, particularly when their husbands approve of women working; married women are most depressed when they are at home full-time but would like to be working. not surprisingly, marital satisfaction tends to be highest among working wives with high levels of education who work out of choice, enjoy their jobs, and receive help from their husband; marital satisfaction tends to be lower among women who have low incomes from undesirable jobs. time together is a problem for most working couples. the less time they spend together, the less likely they are to be satisfied with their marriage