Today, dads are taking on more caregiving and household responsibilities than ever before. According to the Pew Research Center, fathers spend, on average, seven hours a week on child care—that’s almost triple the time they provided in 1965. And fathers, like mothers, struggle to maintain work-life harmony. As family structures evolve, top employers are adapting their policies and programs in pursuit of an agile, competitive workforce.
Fatherly’s 2018 “50 Best Places to Work for New Dads” list celebrates the extraordinary benefits companies are providing to support employees and their families. Yet again, large employers are leading the charge.
Here are best practices large employers can implement to create a supportive, inclusive environment for working dads:
- Offer and encourage dads to take parental leave. According to SHRM’s 2017 Employee Benefits Survey, only 36% of male employees use all available parental leave.
- Make a variety of flexibilities available to fit job requirements and life responsibilities (e.g., a gradual return-to-work schedule, flexible work schedules and telework).
- Provide a child care subsidy, on-site child care or backup care.
- Create opportunities for dads to share experiences and resources through employee affinity groups for parents, new parent mentoring/coaching programs and family-friendly events.
- Make discussions about family a cultural norm. Talk about your family and ask men about theirs.
For more ideas on supporting employees and their families, review the Business Group’s:
