Do we need to let more Dad’s have the time to be present fathers? Let our experts explain.

Father’s Day is this Sunday – a day when dads are recognized for all their hard work around the house and are beset upon with gifts of ties and golf gear. In most Hallmark cards and movies – this is the story and script. 

But recently the experts at employee benefits company, Unum, conducted market research about how modern-day dads are still facing some serious changes in the workplace.

Here are the details below…

An online poll of 500 new parents (half of them fathers) conducted in March showed that among new Dads:

• 36% never discussed their parental leave benefits with human resources. However, of those who did, 89% say they were involved or very involved in the development of their leave plan
• 62% say their employer offers paid parental leave
• 50% spent 30 days or less away from the workplace when they had or adopted their child, while an additional 32% spent 31-60 days, and 17% spent 61-90 days away from work

According to 2017 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, just 15% of civilian businesses offer paid family leave, but the majority are skewed toward higher-paying, white-collar jobs at larger companies. Additional studies have supported the case for providing leave for new dads, which can help ease marital strain during a stressful period and can improve the father’s assertiveness in parenting.

The same Unum poll asked new parents several questions around parental leave stigma in their workplace, with stigma defined as parents being passed over for promotions, being looked down on for taking time off, and other direct consequences of being out of the office to care for a child. Of new fathers, 37% said they feel there’s a stigma in their workplace around new parents, with 80% of them experiencing it firsthand.

“While more dads say their workplace offers parental leave, it’s clear that both new mothers and fathers are encountering stigma about actually taking time off,” said Angel Bennett, Director in the Leave Management Center at Unum. “For HR, this means having an open dialogue within the workplace, encouraging managers to lead by example in taking parental leave, and supporting new moms and dads in the development of their leave and return-to-work plans.” UNUM Media Release June 11, 2019

Are you covering Father’s Day and want to look deeper at the workplace challenges and stigma that new dads face?

• What are the outstanding issues?
• Is this a matter of legislation or how we look at the workplace?

There are a lot of questions and that is where one of our experts can help.

Anna Steffeney is President of LeaveLogic, a cloud-based platform that helps companies and their employees plan, track and manage various types of leave. She is an expert in the areas of paid family leave and parental leave. She is available to speak with media regarding modern offices and the advantages they offer. Simply click on her icon to arrange an interview