New findings indicate employees are still trying to find a good reason to request for flexibility
Working fathers are using their children as a reason to leave work early, according to a new report, in an indication that employees are still seeking a "good excuse" to ask for flexibility in the workplace.
The report, released by resume.io, found that 45.9% of fathers have used their children as an excuse to clock out early at least once, with 23.6% admitting they used this reason on multiple occasions.
Working fathers are also more likely to use the "children" excuse to their bosses compared to working moms, the findings revealed.
Just over a quarter of mothers (26.8%) said they used their children as an excuse to leave work early at least once, while only 7.7% of them did it multiple times.
A 'good excuse' to be flexible
Amanda Augustine, a resident career expert for resume.io, said the findings offer an interesting look at how modern dads are juggling work and family responsibilities.
"Part of that may reflect the fact that today's fathers are taking a much more active role in caregiving than previous generations," said Augustine, who is also a certified professional career coach.
However, the findings may also indicate that employees are struggling to find a good excuse for flexibility and are resorting to using their children as a reason.
"While expectations around fatherhood have evolved, many workplaces still make employees feel like they need a 'good excuse' to ask for flexibility," Augustine said.
"Ideally, parents shouldn't feel pressured to rely on cover stories. They should feel comfortable having honest conversations about their responsibilities outside of work and trust that occasional flexibility won't be viewed as a lack of commitment."
Hiring challenges for working dads
The report, released ahead of Father's Day, also revealed a persisting caution among working dads when it comes to disclosing information about their families.
According to the findings, 22.4% of men have actively hidden being a parent, 1.6x times more likely than women (14.1%).
Men are also more likely to deliberately avoid mentioning their children during the hiring process, with 11.8% admitting to this behaviour, compared with just 7.3% of women.
Efforts to downplay or actively hide having children comes amid continuous questions about families during the hiring process, despite discomfort from jobseekers.
The report showed that 39.1% of working parents have been asked about their children in a job interview.
Among them, 34.9% found the question inappropriate, with mothers (14.1%) more likely to feel uncomfortable about the questions compared with men (8.1%).
Employers have long been warned against asking such personal questions during job interviews, as these could be interpreted by jobseekers as a potential reason why they are not hired for the role.
In Australia, this can lead to a potential legal dispute, as it is unlawful for an employer to discriminate against a prospective employee on the basis of their marital status, as well as carer or family responsibilities.
In the United States, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission also noted that discrimination against a person with caregiving responsibilities may be unlawful under federal employment discrimination laws.
In Canada, the Canadian Human Rights Act prohibits discriminatory practices in employment matters based on 13 grounds, including both marital status and family status.
In Singapore, its newly passed Workplace Fairness Act also prohibits employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of 11 protected characteristics, including marital status, and caregiving responsibilities.
In New Zealand, its Human Rights Act 1993 covers discrimination in employment on the grounds of, among others, marital status and family status.
