Survey finds lack of support for working fathers
Employment Law & HR update 15/06/2012
Working fathers are not being offered enough support from their
employers to be able to play bigger roles in their children’s
upbringing, according to new research.
The survey by the Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion
(enei) found that nearly half of the fathers polled – 49 per cent –
said they did the majority or at least an equal amount of childcare
as their children’s mothers. Some 67 per cent said, however, that
their employers did not offer sufficient policies to help them with
their family duties.
enei’s chief executive, Denise Keating, said that traditional
family roles have experienced major shifts in recent years, and
businesses must adapt to accommodate them.
“True gender equality will only happen when it is not only
socially and culturally acceptable, but actually expected that
fathers will play an equal part in the care and upbringing of their
children,” she said. “If employers do not move with the times and
proactively enable this, there is a risk of disengagement, loss of
performance or, even worse, a perception of discrimination against
the male workforce.”
The survey also found that 49 per cent of fathers want to have
flexible working hours, 21 per cent want to be able to take
paternity leave and 25 per cent of them want their employers to be
more understanding of the demands of fatherhood.
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