With more dads helping out with childcare, help keep your firm fit for fathers with these top tips
DADDY day care is now the new normal.
Men are working 11 per cent fewer hours in lockdown but doing 58 per cent more childcare, reports the Office for National Statistics.
Many hope this is the shape of things to come, with more flexi-time.
A study by found 95 per cent of fathers see this as important but 72 per cent fear raising it with employers.
Site founder Gillian Nissim said: “Modern family life is a joint endeavour, the workplace needs to reflect that. Research shows dads, particularly younger ones, want more time with their children.”
With Fathers’ Day on Sunday, here are tips on how to make your firm tops for pops . . .
- Ensure line managers recognise the benefits of parental leave and flexible working for all.
- Set up a dads’ network to allow them to speak openly and to influence policy in their workplace.
- Dads need reassurance that working flexibly and taking parental leave will not be viewed badly and hurt their career.
- Provide role models at all levels of the organisation who are noisy about the dad agenda.
- Make information on parental-leave policies accessible, in a tone that speaks to dads.
- If possible, enhance paternity pay and ensure cover is available when dads take that time off.
'A huge difference'
DADS Sam White and Will McDonald have been job sharing a senior role at insurers Aviva since 2017.
The 45-year-olds work together as the group public policy and sustainability directors.
They both live in London and work three days a week, overlapping on Wednesday.
Sam, who has two daughters, said: “It’s brilliant for us and our families.
"We’ve been working flexibly for a number of years. We haven’t lost ambition.”
Dad-of-two Will added: “Lots of people think, ‘It wouldn’t work in my job’.
“One of our aims is to speak about how it is possible. It has made a huge difference to how much time I spend with my kids.”
See or for family-friendly jobs, see .
Jobspot
PROPERTY management platform APROPOS is recruiting for agents across the UK.
Visit for more information.
Engineer career
COUNTRIES around the globe will celebrate female engineers and their efforts to make the world a safer and more innovative place on Tuesday.
The theme for International Women in Engineering Day, which aims to encourage female recruits, is #ShapeTheWorld.
In the UK, the campaign is being backed by Vodafone field engineer Natasha Carpenter.
She has worked with the phone giant for ten years and has won the Institution of Engineering and Technology Young Woman Engineer of the Year Award.
Natasha said: “I love saying I’m an engineer. No two days are alike and I never know what problems I will have to solve.”
Vodafone is currently recruiting engineers. See .
Jobspot
DIGITAL marketing agency ILLUSTRATE DIGITAL has roles for back-end developers, freelance developers, freelance user experience designers and a client relationship manager.
See .
Work like a dog
PAWS for a break next Friday as it’s Bring Your Dog To Work Day.
Lockdown means many of us have had our four-legged friends with us as we work from home.
So this year the popular day is going online so those still working from home can join in.
The national event – which will raise cash for charities All Dogs Matter and Animals Asia – sees owners share snaps on social media using the hashtag #Bringyourdogtoworkday.
Stars taking part include EastEnders’ Michelle Collins, Downton Abbey’s Peter Egan and celeb vet Marc Abraham.
Founder Jo Amit said: “Dogs contribute positively to mental health and have really stepped up during lockdown.”
For more details see .
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Better ways to home in
HALF of staff working from home in lockdown are unhappy with their work-life balance, a survey for the Institute for Employment Studies has found.
Anand Verma, founder of tech company Brilliant Basics, shares his worst WFH errors and how to avoid them.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
- NOT SEPARATING WORK AND HOME: It’s easy to roll out of bed, put the kettle on and start looking at emails. The next thing you know, half the day has gone. Try to stick to your normal office hours.
- ZOOM-FATIGUE: Video calling can be stressful with multiple people. Turn off your camera on calls with more than four people, so you are not pulled in all directions.
- SNACKING TOO MUCH: Being a stone’s throw from the fridge can be tempting. Stick to normal meal times, fill the gaps by drinking water or herbal tea.
- NOT TAKING BREAKS: We’re no longer meeting our workmates for a cuppa in the office kitchen, so take a quick walk or open your front door and get some fresh air every couple of hours.
- WORKING IN YOUR PJs: Getting up and dressed as you would on a normal work day will boost how you feel.
- WORKING FROM BED OR THE SOFA: Good posture is vital for comfortable home working. Sit at a desk or table and take regular breaks.
- Check out 1,000s of jobs on our dedicated SunJobs site.
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