‘Fatherhood penalty’ now a risk for men, warns charity
by Jamie Doward, Observer:
The UK risks creating a “fatherhood penalty” as an increasing number of men jettison their careers for less demanding jobs which give them more time with their families, according to a major new study.
The 2017 Modern Families Index, published on Monday, is the largest survey of its kind to measure how families achieve a work-life balance.
It finds that nearly half of working fathers (47%) want to downshift to a less stressful job because they cannot balance the demands of work and family life. Just over a third (38%) say they would be willing to take a pay cut to achieve a better work-life balance.
Significantly, these aspirations are more pronounced among younger fathers. The index, produced by the charity Working Families and nursery provider Bright Horizons, found that 53% of millennial fathers want to downshift to a less stressful job while 48% would take a pay cut to achieve a better work-life balance.
The existence of the “motherhood penalty” is well documented. The Fawcett Society campaign group says the penalty results in women being “more likely to work part-time, to be in low-skilled jobs and [to make up] two-thirds of the low-paid”.
Sarah Jackson, chief executive of Working Families, says a “fatherhood penalty” is also now emerging.
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