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The mass mobilization of women into the workforce which took place in Poland in the 20th century contributed to changes within the institutions of family and marriage. For some women, the ingress into the labour market symbolized an opportunity to develop and gave them fulfillment and satisfaction. However, for others, professional duties became a hardship and synonym for lack of time, monotony and exhaustion. In the article the author analyzed autobiographical narratives of "ordinary" people which refer to the women's participation in the labour market. The narratives, which had been composed for autobiographical competitions organized in 1960s, enabled the author to perceive a conspicuous diversity of women's and their husbands' attitudes towards the phenomenon which was characteristic of the fi rst decades of the Polish People's Republic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]