The Modern Families Index 2017 has revealed the risk of a ‘fatherhood penalty’ where men move into lower paid and lower quality work because they have become fathers. The index looks at how families balance family life with work. One of the key findings is the existence of a ‘fatherhood penalty’. Fathers increasingly want to take an active part in childcare but are having to consider compromises, i.e.:

• 47% of fathers agree they would like to downshift into a less stressful job, reflecting the difficulty they face in reconciling work and home;
• 7 out of 10 fathers agree they would assess their childcare needs before taking a new job or promotion; and,
• 46% of millennial fathers said they would be willing to take a pay cut to achieve a better work-life balance.

Other key findings include 44% of fathers have lied or bent the truth to their employer about family responsibilities and twice the number of fathers compared to mothers believe flexible workers are viewed as less committed.

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