DADDY day care is now the new normal.
Men are working 11 per cent fewer hours in lockdown but doing 58 per cent more childcare, reports the Office for National Statistics.
Many hope this is the shape of things to come, with more flexi-time.
A study by WorkingDads.co.uk found 95 per cent of fathers see this as important but 72 per cent fear raising it with employers.
Site founder Gillian Nissim said: “Modern family life is a joint endeavour, the workplace needs to reflect that. Research shows dads, particularly younger ones, want more time with their children.”
With Fathers’ Day on Sunday, here are tips on how to make your firm tops for pops . . .
- Ensure line managers recognise the benefits of parental leave and flexible working for all.
- Set up a dads’ network to allow them to speak openly and to influence policy in their workplace.
- Dads need reassurance that working flexibly and taking parental leave will not be viewed badly and hurt their career.
- Provide role models at all levels of the organisation who are noisy about the dad agenda.
- Make information on parental-leave policies accessible, in a tone that speaks to dads.
- If possible, enhance paternity pay and ensure cover is available when dads take that time off.
‘A huge difference’
DADS Sam White and Will McDonald have been job sharing a senior role at insurers Aviva since 2017.
The 45-year-olds work together as the group public policy and sustainability directors.
They both live in London and work three days a week, overlapping on Wednesday.
Sam, who has two daughters, said: “It’s brilliant for us and our families.
“We’ve been working flexibly for a number of years. We haven’t lost ambition.”
Dad-of-two Will added: “Lots of people think, ‘It wouldn’t work in my job’.
“One of our aims is to speak about how it is possible. It has made a huge difference to how much time I spend with my kids.”
See careers.aviva.co.uk or for family-friendly jobs, see workingdads.co.uk.
