The balance battle: 5 reasons why dads are struggling with workplace flexibility

Despite a rise in dual-earner families in Australia and men wanting to be more engaged with their kids, there are still major hurdles preventing dads from fully embracing formalised flexible working arrangements such as part-time work or parental leave.

This is a problem because we know if dads achieve work-family balance it benefits children, women’s employment and men’s wellbeing.

So why are dads finding it so challenging to adopt formal flexible working arrangements to help them as a parent?

As a fathering researcher focusing on mens’ adoption of flexibility, I have identified five main reasons.

Work-family balance barriers

1. Flexibility is often feminised

Flexibility can be associated with the “mummy career track”.

Modifying work after becoming a parent is positioned as being for women with children – rather than for dads.

When men do adopt flexibility for caring, some experience a backlash in the form of stigmatisation or discrimination, especially in relation to parental leave and returning to work – even when they take short periods of leave.

In fact, the Australian Human Rights Commission found men were twice as likely to have their leave requests rejected than women.

Recent Australian data show only 8% of organisations set targets for men’s engagement with flexible working.

This issue is driven by deep-seated gender norms and stereotypes about work and care and it results in men often being left out of the flexibility conversation.

2. There is an expectation for men to focus on their career

Men’s caring responsibilities are largely invisible in the workplace and dads often get the message to prioritise career development and financial provision over being actively involved in their children’s daily care.

In relation to this, men report a lack of workplace acceptance for flexible working arrangements and a concern regarding the career penalties that could follow.

While the benefits of dads being more hands-on as a parent are clear – including positive outcomes for child development, for father-child bonding, and for men’s wellbeing – negative career implications are often cited as a prominent downside associated with some forms of flexibility.

Underpinning the expectation for men to be dedicated to their careers are masculine norms and the work devotion schema (a moral obligation to dedicate oneself to work).

However, Australian research shows men want more flexibility and some are even willing to change their job to achieve this.

3. Men don’t know what they are entitled to

There is sometimes a lack of awareness from men and a lack of resources from employers surrounding what men are entitled to.

Many dads aren’t fully aware of the work-family policies available to them or where to look. They are sometimes reluctant to ask employers directly due to a perceived lack of entitlement or fears around negative judgement.

As a result, when it comes to finding out about flexibility, men often have to dig around on their own to figure out what they are actually able to use.

The lack of readily available information for men reinforces the message that flexibility for parenting is not really designed for dads.

To help overcome this issue, organisations should ensure they have conversations with fathers, and not just with mothers, about adjusting their work schedules when they have children.

4. Occupational barriers

Men in different positions within organisations face distinct challenges when attempting to adopt flexible caregiving arrangements.

Those in high-status roles such as senior workers or managers have a lot of control over their work hours but they are often reluctant to adopt formal flexibility for caring due to concerns it may signify a lack of commitment to work.

In contrast, men working in lower-status roles report a lack of power to request flexibility and some report having requests denied or being pressured to not access flexibility options.

5. A lack of male role models

There is a lack of role-modelling from other men and a lack of spaces for men to learn from each other about working flexibly.

Men also report being hesitant about using flexible work arrangements because they don’t see their leaders embracing or setting an example themselves. This leads to concerns it could result in negative outcomes, leading to missed promotions or career opportunities.

Having more male leaders working flexibly for family reasons would set an example for other men but barriers exist due to expectations from some leaders to be present at work.

Where to from here?

In order for things to change, men’s caregiving roles must become more visible at work and organisations must better support dads in adopting flexibility for caring purposes.

Some effective ways to improve the situation include having male leaders model flexibility, organisations promoting the idea that flexibility is for dads too and telling men about their work-family entitlements when they become, or are about to become, a father.

Alina Ewald does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.