Meet the modern-day working dad

In fact, research has suggested that this is the reality modern-day working dads are facing today. For one, most employers frown on the set-up of dads combining their parental duties with work (i.e. the preference for part-time employment or compressed hours). The fatherhood forfeit trend can also manifest on societal biases placed on caregiving fathers, stripping them off their masculinity.

But it wasn’t always like this.  

Back then, fatherhood was regarded as a nobler task. It meant being the sole breadwinner and the strict disciplinarian, with mothers relegated to caregiving and homemaking. 

These days, dads don’t just put food on the table. They’re also more involved in their children’s lives. The modern-day working dad’s brand of discipline is now mixed in with empathy, their homemaking contributions have increased, and they show more vulnerability. This shift has paved well for child development, with kids having higher levels of sociability, confidence, and self-control among others, according to research by global non-profit organization The Fatherhood Project. 

Now that we’re more acquainted with modern-day working dads, the ball is in our court. How then can we foster a better safe space? 

Suspend biases with family-friendly policies 

Review organizational policies when it comes to parental leaves. Go the extra mile and have some additional mandatory leaves in place for your dad employees, especially those with newborns, infants, or preschool and primary age kids. Don’t forget to be explicit in communicating any changes or add-ons within your internal channels. 

Set specific trainings for managers

Remember that managers are the first line of defense when addressing mistreatment for caregiving dads. Help them stay on top of flexible working requests, strategies in leading with empathy, and resources for unconscious bias training. 

Additionally, you can also set up mentoring or coaching sessions for improved handovers whenever fathers need to be away for lengthy periods concerning parental matters. 

Create a sense of community

Global powerhouse PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) has done this by establishing a fatherhood forum within their organization. There are other avenues where you can do something similar, like having a town hall dedicated to working dads or holding an open workshop. What’s important is that you’re giving fathers a platform to speak their truth and crafting a network of support. 

Show your support with non-monetary benefits

Whether it’s gifts for meeting specific milestones, recognizing performance, commemorating personal events, or building team spirit, non-monetary benefits are a surefire way to boost engagement and camaraderie. Enable the dads in your teams to create more joyful moments with their families using meaningful rewards. 

Pro-tip: The best rewards often allow recipients to choose depending on their preferences, lifestyle, wants, and needs. With Pluxee’s wide selection of digital vouchers, you can give them this power. What’s more—they can choose from over 12,000 partner merchants nationwide!

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