Are fathers ready to prioritize family life over career?

Fatherhood, a women’s issue? Let’s face it, it’s still too often like this. But attitudes are slowly changing and more and more men are investing in their children, sometimes to the detriment of their careers. An article published in The world last week focused on these fathers who claim their desire to abandon the professional ballast to take care of their children on a daily basis, on a par with their spouse.

New fathers, these everyday heroes?

The magazine followed the fathers they had chooses to prioritize family life over professional life. Reduction of working hours, refusal of missions and time-consuming promotions, the testimonies illustrate a timid trend, but which is gradually taking root in society.

Some big companies have already stepped up offering childcare places, emergency childcare or hybrid and flexible working arrangements. In February 2020, a column published in The echoes and signed by 105 company heads, it also undertook to extend the second parent’s paid leave to one month, against 11 days then.

Today, recruiters are meeting more and more young people who take on their family responsibilities. However, despite appreciable initiatives, the world of work is struggling overall to adapt to the times and to accept that those who work can devote themselves to their personal lives (goodbye meetings after 6pm). 59% of men regret sexist thoughts when making their investment and is asked why the wife does not manage the family logistics.

Women at home, men at work

Society changes or not, it’s always the women who take care of the children. An INSEE study published in 2020 reveals that they still perform 71% of parenting duties. Are also 47% interrupt or reduce their professional activity after giving birth, compared to 6% of fathers. The world of work has understood that a mother assumes all or almost all household responsibilities and sees her availability reduced to a thread.

Instead of encouraging male employees to share this burden and making the professional space more flexible, we prefer to penalize women, it’s less complicated. Also according to INSEE, mothers are 60% less likely than fathers to access the top 1% of paid jobs. As the concept of Mum penalty and Dad bonus perfectly illustrates, becoming a parent slows down the careers of some and boosts that of others.

In short, the time has not yet come to affirm that society has really changed, but nothing prevents us from rejoicing in these small changes that open up, who knows, a more egalitarian world.

Photo credit image of one: Getty Images Signature