Over half of new dads struggling to secure flexibility at work

• One third of new dads have already changed jobs since becoming a father with another third actively looking to change
• 59% of working fathers want employers to provide more flexible working and almost half say that improving paternity leave is vital
• 37% admit that their mental health is negatively affected as a result of trying to balance work and parental responsibilities

A new report, “The Millennial Dad at Work” published today by Daddilife, the UK’s leading platform and community for millennial dads, reveals the seismic shift in how a new generation of working dads view their home and working life. The research, in association with Deloitte, shows that more dads than ever before (58%) are now actively involved in day to day parenting and are looking for workplace flexibility which is still not currently provided by the majority of UK employers.

Over 2000 working dads between the ages of 24-40 were interviewed for the report which is published today as Daddilife launches a new campaign and online hub designed to raise awareness of the issues that working dads face and to kickstart action from business and Government. The hub also provides a wide range of advice and a dedicated online support community for modern day fathers looking for workplace flexibility and an understanding of their parental rights.

• 63% of new dads at work have requested a change in working pattern since becoming a father. 14% of millennial dads have requested to work from home between 1-2 days per week, but less than 1 in 5 of those dads (19%) are granted it.
• Nearly 40% of dads have requested a change in working hours with 44% of them being unsuccessful.
• Only 56% believed that fathers were treated equally to mothers in their workplaces.
• 45% of working fathers regularly experienced tension from their employer when trying to balance work and family life demonstrating a growing disconnect between home and workplace. 39% regularly experience tension from colleagues. 

Han-Son Lee, Founder of Daddilife said:
“Fathers are more involved in day to day parenting than ever before yet many employers cling on to old fashioned views of society where mum stays at home and takes on the childcare and dad works all hours to provide for the family. We know first-hand from listening to working dads in the Daddilife community, that there is a real gap in provision for new working fathers who need support to help them navigate the world of paternity leave, flexible working, and dealing with employers who refuse to listen.

“What is clear from our research is that society is changing fast and if organisations want to retain their best employees, Government and Business need to drive meaningful change for a new generation of fathers. We’ve built our new campaign hub to speed up that change by shining a light on those who are doing it well, and providing the advice that dads desperately need.”

Emma Codd, Managing Partner for Talent at Deloitte, said:
“We are delighted to be able to support this important research which has highlighted the change still needed in many businesses when it comes to ways of working and support provided to working parents. Agile working has long been a key priority and focus for Deloitte – enabling everyone to balance their commitments outside work with a successful career is critical to our ability to attract and retain the best people; these findings serve to show why this focus is so important.”

Other striking results to emerge from the research show how existing practices affect mental health; 37% admitting that their mental health is negatively affected as a result of trying to balance work and parental responsibilities. 45% report a negative effect when it comes to being able to switch off, and 61% experiencing feelings of guilt with their partner and 51% guilt with their children at home.

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Note to editors

1. The report “Millennial dads at Work” interviewed 2002 fathers between the ages of 24-40 from March and April 2019 across the whole of the UK. It looked at parenting and working patterns broken down by age, job and income. The full report is available to download from the Daddilife working hub at https://www.daddilife.com/dads-at-work/
2. Daddilife is the UK’s leading online community lifestyle platform for millennial dads providing articles, advice and support for today’s modern father. 
3. The new online campaign hub for working dads is designed to provide a supportive online community as well as factual information on rights at work, advice and support from others in a similar position. 
4. Deloitte is a leading global provider of audit and assurance, consulting, financial advisory, risk advisory, tax and related services. The firm offers a range of benefits and support to its working parents, details of which can be found here https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages/careers/articles/family-friendly-policies-professional.html

About Deloitte
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Deloitte LLP is a subsidiary of Deloitte NWE LLP, which is a member firm of DTTL, and is among the UK's leading professional services firms.

The information contained in this press release is correct at the time of going to press.

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