Firms told to tackle flexible-working ‘stigma’ faced by men

Employers must do more to tackle the flexible-working “stigma” faced by men if they are to avoid a two-tiered workforce as people return to offices, academics and business leaders have said.

“If you have a lot more women working from home while men come back into the office, it could not only be a squandered opportunity but actually exacerbate problems of gender equality,” said Holly Birkett, a co-director of the Equal Parenting Project at the University of Birmingham.

Sarah Forbes, who co-runs the project, said: “Organisations that simply say flexible working is for all ignore the perceived barriers preventing men from applying and the flexibility stigma they face. Messages need to be developed to actually target men.”

David*, who works in financial services, has struggled to work flexibily enough to also look after his three children every other week. “It’s a challenge to have the conversation at work around part-time working as a dad. The return to the office and commute times are an added worry,” he said.

Recent research from the Chartered Management Institute found that 90% of men and 87% of women wanted to continue to work remotely at least one day a week post-pandemic.

“It’s by far the most popular benefit used to attract and retain employees, no matter what their sex, even topping above-market salaries,” said the CMI chief executive, Ann Francke. “Employers who encourage greater flexibility will have an edge in gaining greater access to talent in a tight labour market.”

Last year research from the Fatherhood Institute found that 76% of partnered fathers hoped to work more flexibly in the future, with 63% hoping to work more from home. But research from the Fawcett Society in 2016 found fathers’ requests for flexible working were refused at almost twice the rate of mothers’, while Working Families found that fathers were twice as likely as mothers to think asking for flexible working would damage their careers.

Dr Jasmine Kelland, a lecturer in human resource studies at the Plymouth Business School, said her research showed men face a “father forfeit” – and were less likely to gain part-time work and more likely to be judged negatively for requesting it.

In her research, managers were asked to assess four fictitious candidates for “workplace commitment”, “hireability” “promotability” and “perceived competence”. Care-giving fathers were rated lower than care-giving mothers in every category, in part-time and full-time roles.

“I found fathers who changed their working hours for caregiving faced mockery, were viewed as idle, faced social exclusion and were viewed with suspicion,” Kelland said. One senior manager stated that requests would be met with “piss-taking”, including the idea the man was “a bit of a wuss, she rules the roost, wears the trousers”.

“It’s not a joke, it’s not funny and we have to call it out,” she said. “We also need senior men role-modelling, perhaps saying they are going to pick up their kids then go back to work – we need to make that socially acceptable.”

Some discrimination may be less obvious. Conrad*, who works in marketing, recalled that when he asked about going part-time after his second child, he was told he was “doing so well” and it would damage his career, while the request of a female colleague was supported. “I was left thinking that if I’d been a mother I would have been treated differently,” he said.

Michael Lewkowicz, of Families Need Fathers, said divorced fathers with rigid care schedules were desperate for more flexibility. “Employers need to make clear that they value and respect their employees’ family lives – and that applies to mothers and fathers,” he said.

Adrienne Burgess, a joint CEO at the Fatherhood Institute, said: “If employers continue to discriminate against fathers, they will vote with their feet and look for better, more flexible roles.”

Iain Wilson is one of them: a foster carer to a girl with disabilities, he moved to work at Independent Living Fund Scotland because of its flexible working policies. “When I asked for flexible work at the local authority I worked at, I was made to feel like an alien, but now I work for a truly flexible employer. I work extremely hard but I can work around my family. I don’t know what I would have done without it.”

*Names have been changed.