Provider or father? Parenthood and men’s working hours

Having children changes parents’ lives – and we know it has a significant effect on women’s careers and earnings. Fathers’ careers, though, seem largely unaffected – which may be one reason why fatherhood has been relatively under-researched until recently. We set out to use data from the British Household Panel Survey and Understanding Society to get some new insights into men’s working hours in the UK, especially after they become parents.

We combined data from the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS), which goes back to 1991, with data from Understanding Society (2008 to the present) to give us a sample of more than 5,600 married or cohabiting men. (We excluded self-employed men, who might distort the results by finding it easier to work flexibly, and men with more than one child, as well as stepfathers, who might be less involved than fathers.)

Juggling work and childcare

Our headline finding was that fatherhood does have an effect on men’s working hours, but only a small one – just under two hours a week. The change, though, was not so much to do with having a child as it was with the time restrictions people face when both partners work and have to juggle jobs, childcare and housework. Also, it mostly affects those with children below school age (specifically, aged 1-5).

Fathers of children at these ages work more hours if they are the main earner, but fewer hours if the mother also works part-time. We know from existing research that men do more housework and childcare when their partner is employed – particularly if that partner works part-time. It may be that their increased share of the housework explains their shorter hours, or that where mothers contribute to household income, that gives fathers the flexibility to work fewer hours.

Full-time or part-time

If the mother is working full-time, there is not much change in the father’s working hours – and this may be because they use their two salaries to pay for childcare.

In low-income households, though, women’s earnings may not be enough to ease the financial constraints which come from having children. We found some evidence that men on low wages increase their work hours, even if their partner is working.

What do fathers want to do?

We also looked at whether men want to change their working hours after they become fathers, but found that parenthood didn’t have much effect on their feelings about their working hours. This may be because men don’t make a connection between working hours and their idea of themselves as either breadwinners or involved fathers. Or they may already have made this decision before their first child was born. Alternatively, it may be that, as they answer this question, they’re thinking about what’s possible in their specific circumstances, bearing in mind the cost of raising children.

These might be the same reasons why we found that introducing the right to request to flexible working had no effect on men’s working hours. We compared fathers’ behaviour before and after the law change in 2003 which made this possible – and even fathers with small children whose partners work rarely take up the option. It may be that mothers are the ones adjusting their working patterns, or that in male-dominated professions, fathers find that flexibility is less available, or they’re worried about the stigma of asking.

Although fathers are involved in their children’s lives nowadays, in ways that were less expected of men in previous generations, studies show that providing financially is still central to being seen as a ‘good father’. Men do report tensions in trying to do both, though.

Indeed, money seemed to be a crucial factor in deciding how men responded to fatherhood. Those on low wages (defined as 60% or less of the median), whose partner wasn’t working increased their working time by more than three hours per week. If their partner was working, this decreased significantly. There was no significant difference for men on medium or high wages, perhaps because these households don’t depend so much on the partner’s extra income.

Looking ahead

Ultimately, we found that men seem to be more restricted in their flexibility to choose a different model from the traditional one. We still have a culture of long working hours in the UK, and many incentives for mothers to be the main carer. Despite this, we are seeing British men changing how they respond to fatherhood, which gives us an idea of what could happen in a society where a more equal division of labour was possible.

Our study shows that we should analyse men’s working hour changes in a family context. Our research in this area helps with understanding the causes of gender inequality in the labour market – as well as contributing to existing international research on fathers’ work and involvement in the family.

Future research could consider the work schedules of each partner, or their autonomy over working hours, so we can better understand how workplace constraints, financial restrictions and time conflicts work together to influence fathers’ decisions on work and family. Qualitative studies could give better insights into fathers’ motivations and preferences. It would also be good to learn more about the effects of having more than one child – and of buying childcare.

Read the full paper