First poll results show polarisation on fathers’ part-time working

My first poll, run for most of April has now closed. It asked whether people knew fathers who wanted to work part-time. The poll was conducted online on two separate sites, and the results suggest that different interest groups may still retain polarised views on this issue. What this small sample also highlights is that where you look for answers can influence the results that you find.

While a significant minority across both polls knew one father who wanted to work part-time, the majority view was opposed at the other ends of the spectrum. On this blog’s poll, the majority (50%) know lots of fathers who want to work part-time. The other poll, conducted on a business networking site, showed that a larger majority (62%) did not know any fathers who wanted to work part-time.

The sample of fathers in my PhD research were overwhelmingly opposed to part-time working as it was associated with women, low pay, and low status jobs. Flexible working patterns were viewed far more favourably.

The results from this blog’s poll, favouring part-time working for fathers, suggest that the ways we organise – and value - work really do need to enable diverse practices.

Poll Results:
1. I know lots of fathers who want to work part-time:
Blog poll: 50% Business Poll: 12%

2. I know one father who wants to work part-time:
Blog poll: 33% Business Poll: 25%

3. I don’t know any fathers who want to work part-time:
Blog poll: 16% Business Poll: 62%

Do fathers want to work part time?

In my research, reduced work hours was a practice most frequently and acceptably practiced by the fathers’ partners (the mothers). Six fathers had formally reduced their working hours but 21 mothers were either working reduced hours or had stopped working as a consequence of motherhood. Reduced hours was not a constant trend in any one fathers’ working life. Interestingly, Tom (who had reduced his work week to 30 hours) did not refer to his work pattern as being a part-time.

I am running a poll on this blog to see how many men people know who want to work part-time. Is part-time working something that men (and especially fathers) would choose to do? Or, is part-time working for women only?

Take part in the poll and add any comments here.

Flexible working for fathers

Barack Obama spoke out yesterday about the need for flexible workplace options for both men and women (click here). In the UK, flexible work practices are widely lauded although its policy implementation is widely voluntaristic and individualised.

Mine and other research suggests that flexibility can enhance work-life balance for families (Dermott 2008: 6; Hill et al., 2001 cited in Vandeweyer and Glorieux 2008: 272; Lamb et al 1987: 115). However, much research also suggests that flexible working is not always a positive solution for workers (Moss 1995: xiv; Brandth and Kvande 2002; Christensen and Staines 1990 cited in Vandeweyer and Glorieux 2008: 272; Pollert 1988 cited in Crompton 2006: 5; Lamb et al 1987; O’Brien and Shemilt 2003).

While flexible options, particularly part-time working, are more frequently taken up by women, many fathers use some form of flexible working to help their family's work life balance. This is often through the use of either informal or formal flexi-time arrangements, or through home working.

What are your experiences? Do you work from home? Does your employer offer flexi-time solutions that suit your child care needs?