Rise in part-time dads

A growing number of fathers are opting to work part-time because they want to spend more time with their children according to a survey by recruitment agency Office Angels. However the study found that there continues to be a perceived stigma to being a “part-time working father”.

The report, Rise of the part-time dads, found that over half of fathers (57%) working full time want to cut their hours so as to spend more time with their children. But the survey of 1,000 working fathers found that nearly three quarters (70%) of those working part-time believe that society attaches a stigma to the part-time working father.

The report revealed the most common reasons for fathers choosing to work part-time are to share in the running of the household, to spend more time with their children and to achieve a better work/life balance.

Angela Smith, operations director of Office Angels, said: “We found that it is not just financial matters alone that steer these life choices. Work-life balance is increasingly a subject that weighs heavy on dads’ minds.”