Most people would agree that today's fathers are very different than previous generations of fathers.
As the Vanier Institute of the Family notes in its Portrait of Fathers, fathers want to be, and are, more emotionally and practically involved in raising their children—which is all good news for the family.
This growing emphasis on the importance of family and balancing the needs of both family and work has implications beyond the family home.
Andy T. is a good example of a father who understands this need for balance:
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I used to run my own business from home – it gave me flexibility to
be able to care for our three pre-school boys but I found searching for
clients and balancing the workload very difficult. I was approached by
my former company and was asked to return with them. I was very flattered,
but we had several discussions as I had to ensure that I could still have
the flexibility to care for the kids. Fortunately, they understood and
have shown their support on many occasions.
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So, what
has changed?
In its report, Fathers
and the work-family politic, researchers from the Father
Involvement Research Alliance of the University of Guelph discuss the changing
roles of fathers.
"Many workplaces have started to recognize the changing needs of both parents..."
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"Father involvement is shaped by:
- men's own characteristics and strengths
- the co-parenting dynamics within a variety of family structures
- the services and supports that are available in the community
- broader social rules, cultural practices and policies that result in direct and indirect impacts on fathers
and families."
The researchers note that work culture and employment practices
strongly affect levels of father involvement.
What are
fathers' fears about taking leave?
Working fathers often struggle with their role demands, which can conflict
with the demands of the workplace. While this struggle is not necessarily unique
to them, there is often still an assumption that if a child is sick, for example,
the mother will be the one who takes the unscheduled time off work.
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I do have a wireless computer for when I'm on the road for work, or
at home. It's good as I can stay in touch, but there are times when you
wish you could really get away. Yes, I'm guilty of e-mailing to arrange
meetings while I was camping with the family… but on the other hand, the
map feature I downloaded came in really handy when we made a wrong turn
coming home on the country roads!
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Many workplaces
have started to recognize the changing needs of both parents and most collective
agreements have provisions for parental or paternity leave
and by law, men eligible for Employment Insurance can take paternity leave.
According to the Vanier Institute report, however, not all men are taking advantage
of these parental benefits. Some reasons fathers may be reluctant to use parental
benefits include:
- loss of wages
- fear of losing a job or stalling in a career
- guilt if colleagues have to take over for them.
Supporting
fathers starts with flexibility
When our one-year-old son went into the hospital for minor surgery, my group
leader insisted that I take sick time and not vacation time as I had initially
thought to do.
The company's policy towards flexible working arrangements is
very progressive. I maintain my home office, where I try to work two days a
week. With today's Internet connections and the prevalence of conference calling,
this works well. |
What employers
can do
There are many things that employers can do
to help all their employees with work-life balance. For example, one very helpful
option for fathers is to offer flexible work opportunities.
Flexibility does not have to be complicated or mean doing less work. Simply
allowing a person to start work a little later (or earlier) may be the perfect
solution. Sometimes all that is needed is an extra 30 minutes in the morning
to allow time to drop children off at the day-care or school.
What fathers can do
Fathers can also initiate a discussion about work-life balance
with their managers or supervisors. Find out what kind of programs, policies,
and benefits exist in your organization. What opportunities are there at your
workplace? Find a good time to sit down and discuss career plans and options,
including flexible work arrangements.
More flexibility in workplaces will mean
that dads can have the option to look after their children when they are sick,
and will also feel supported if they want to be with their kids on a school
trip, or attend a concert or sports event.
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Generally, a company that implements and promotes flexible work arrangements
has a real advantage in today's labour market of scarce resources. I think
it provides a tremendous attraction to potential staff who are looking
more and more to quality of life issues, not just monetary incentives.
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This article was prepared by Nora Underwood, a journalist living in Toronto, with input from 
