Working Dads Should Get a Break

72% of executives believe companies should change their policy to take account of family responsibilities

73% believe men don’t take enought leave when their children are born

79% agree that fatherhood makes a man a better employee

As Father’s Day approaches, leading senior executive careers site, TheLadders.co.uk finds working dads are disgruntled with employers.

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A study released today by management careers site TheLadders.co.uk reveals that 72% of executives believe British companies should review and revise company policy to take family responsibility into account as 79% believe fatherhood actually makes a man a better employee for an organization.

According to the study of 300 senior executives, 73% believe that men don’t take enough leave when their children are born with half of working dads polled admitting that they feel “uncomfortable” taking time out for family commitments.

In fact 22% of men told TheLadders.co.uk that they didn’t take any paternity leave when their children were born, stating that they were either not allowed or felt unable to in their position. 18% of fathers also admitted to having NEVER taken time off work for parents meetings, school plays, sports days and nativities.

TheLadders.co.uk study found that in general men were unaware of their rights when it came to “being a dad”. Nearly one third of the men thought that paid paternity leave was discretionary with another 22% believing they were only entitled to two weeks “unpaid” leave when their children were born.

“It’s striking that men still feel “family” is a dirty word in the work environment,” says Derek Pilcher, Managing Director of TheLadders.co.uk and father of two. “Being a dad is a fantastic work asset, helping executives to manage stress, deal with conflict and motivate teams. Employers should work with dads on the payroll to foster their skills whilst giving them the flexibility they need for their family commitments,” he continues.

In fact 79% of men agree with Pilcher when it comes to dads being an asset in the workplace, citing motivation (46%) and team management (47%) as key skills that fathers bring to the office.

Of the 21% who claimed that fatherhood does not make a man a better employee, 29% say they are less flexible and 17% claim they contribute less to the morale of the team.