Catch an episode of the hit series "Mad Men," and one is immediately catapulted into the male-dominated, chain-smoking, secretary-ogling era of the 1960s workplace. The show is a stark reminder of just how much has changed in society and at the workplace, especially for women.

Fast forward to 2010, and the reality of women has changed dramatically. Women now are Speaker of the House, Secretary of State, CEOs of Fortune 500 companies (Yahoo, Avon, Xerox, PepsiCo), presidents of Ivy League universities (Harvard, Brown, Penn and Princeton) and running nations (Germany, Ireland, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Chile, Mozambique and Jamaica).

According to an October 2009 Time magazine cover story, for the first time in history, the majority of the workers in the United States will be women. Women are holding more management and supervisory positions than men, by a margin of 37% to 31%.

It's evident that opportunities for women today are a far cry from the scenarios depicted on "Mad Men." Women should be happier after gaining more freedom, more education, and more economic power, right?

Not according to the latest research findings. The U.S. General Social Survey has conducted an annual survey since 1972 and found that women's overall level of happiness has dropped, both relative to where they were 40 years ago, and relative to men.

According to the report, this drop in happiness is evident regardless of whether women have kids, how many children they have, how much money they make, how healthy they are, what job they hold, whether they are married, single or divorced, how old they are or what race they are. The only exception happens to be that African-American women are now slightly happier that they were back in 1972, although they remain less happy than African-American men.

The second discovery is that as women age, they gradually become less happy. Men, in contrast, get happier as they get older. By the time women reach 47, they are generally less happy with their lives than men of the same age.

So why are women less happy? While there's certainly not one answer, perhaps part of the unhappiness comes from the unrealistic notion that women can do everything without sacrificing anything. Today's ideal woman is more like Superwoman - she has numerous academic achievements, a fabulous career, is in great shape, is the perfect wife/mother/girlfriend, with an exciting social life, who can create a tablescape to rival Martha Stewart and host a gourmet party like Barefoot Contessa, all while looking runway fabulous in Christian Louboutin stilettos.

But the reality is that no one can achieve everything without sacrificing anything. In trying to live up to this Superwoman ideal, a lot of women end up sacrificing their own happiness. Here are some ways employers can help their female workers achieve overall happiness and balance:

1. Offer flexible schedules. Women require some degree of flexibility to juggle the many responsibilities they take on. Flex time, telecommuting and job sharing are work arrangements that are compelling to all employees, but particularly women. Sabbaticals are another way to encourage long-term employment and happy workers.

2. Partner with your EAP. Work with your EAP to focus on work/life balance activities. For example, each quarter, offer onsite training or webinars, newsletters or other ongoing communication that focuses on a specific aspect of work-life balance and women's happiness.

3. Provide or enhance work-life programs. Offering a referral service that provides resources for various child and elder care issues is a great help and can alleviate stress and frustration. A homework hotline is another great way to help women reduce the stress of raising school age children.

4. Provide concierge perks. Making life simpler will help working women handle the multitude of work/life tasks that need to be done. Finding a plumber, assisting with vacation planning, getting a discount at a local theme park, providing onsite dry cleaning - these all contribute to a happier and less stressed workforce.

5. Conduct training and seminars. Provide stronger training for women re-entering the workforce after maternity leave, or coming back to work after raising a family. Also, by offering onsite brown bag classes or webinars that are easily accessible, working women can get the information they need to make effective decisions in their lives.

6. Provide access to online support groups. Women can share best practices and alleviate stress by talking through issues they're having. These support groups can be created on your company intranet, or made accessible through confidential work/life Web sites managed by a work/life benefits provider.

7. Offer mentorship programs. Mentoring women is a very effective way to ensure they remain happy in the workforce. These programs can be peer to peer (female to female), or a high ranking executive coaching a younger female employee.

8. Enhance time off policies. Evaluate your time off policies to accommodate working women. Enhance your maternity/paternity leave, provide more paid time off, or create phased retirement programs.

9. Offer wellness programs. A healthy workforce is a happy workforce. Providing a variety of wellness programs, such as health risk assessments, onsite screenings and flu shots, wellness coaches and online resources, creates a nurturing environment that reduces stress and illness. Focus on stress management and reduction by providing yoga at the workplace, training on stress management techniques, healthy meals for the family and exercise tips.

Juggling the daily responsibilities of work and personal life isn't easy. Continuing to express oneself honestly, saying no when necessary and working towards achieving life goals should help contribute to overall happiness. While there will be sacrifices, the bottom line is that women should be more comfortable with their life choices and more accepting of themselves.