[Canada] 3 in 10 dads would trade a pay cut for more flexibility

New research has revealed that Canada’s working dads are willing to sacrifice their wages simply to secure more flexibility at work, HRD reports.

The research, conducted by Robert Half Canada, showed that 29 per cent of working fathers would accept a salary reduction to be fully remote. 

To that end, 54 per cent of working dads reportedly intended to start or had started looking for a new job in the first half of 2023. Nine in ten of those respondents cited flexibility as their main goal.

“Allowing employees to maintain their professional, personal, and parental responsibilities through hybrid and flexible work options is a major way companies can support the parents in their workforce, helping with overall workplace wellbeing, and recruitment and retention efforts,” Mike Shekhtman - senior regional director at Robert Half - told HRD.

“Beyond that, other perks and benefits such as company top-ups for parental leave pay, and extra family planning benefits are also great ways for businesses to support the parents on their teams.”

Many studies focus solely on working mothers or “working parents” but there is considerably less data on working fathers. According to a study from University of Twente, working mothers “feel more guilt than working fathers” as a result of internalised gender stereotypes. But recent moves to bring more equality to childcare have led to a greater number of employers re-evaluating their own parental care policies.

Mr Shekhtman told HRD that this is where hybrid and remote working options should come to the fore.

“Offering flexibility in some form - an umbrella system that can include hybrid and fully remote options - has benefits for worker satisfaction, work-life balance, productivity, and retentions, along with making companies who offer this more attractive to potential jobseekers,” he said.

“However, our research also shows that being in the office still has concrete benefits. Nearly two-thirds of professionals said they have more effective relationships with colleagues whom they’ve met face-to-face versus those they have not.”

The majority of employees are reportedly happy with collaborating in person (47 per cent) versus virtually (34 per cent).  

“With that in mind, rather than settling on either end of the spectrum, companies can reap the benefits of both by offering flexibility through remote options with some purposeful on-site days for things like team building and collaborating, as well as other hybrid set-ups that meet the needs of both the business and individuals,” Mr Shekhtman said.

“Managers should communicate with their team members about their priorities and concerns, to help create schedules that work for everyone.”

Source: HRD

(Links and quotes via original reporting)

New research has revealed that Canada’s working dads are willing to sacrifice their wages simply to secure more flexibility at work, HRD reports.

The research, conducted by Robert Half Canada, showed that 29 per cent of working fathers would accept a salary reduction to be fully remote. 

To that end, 54 per cent of working dads reportedly intended to start or had started looking for a new job in the first half of 2023. Nine in ten of those respondents cited flexibility as their main goal.

“Allowing employees to maintain their professional, personal, and parental responsibilities through hybrid and flexible work options is a major way companies can support the parents in their workforce, helping with overall workplace wellbeing, and recruitment and retention efforts,” Mike Shekhtman - senior regional director at Robert Half - told HRD.

“Beyond that, other perks and benefits such as company top-ups for parental leave pay, and extra family planning benefits are also great ways for businesses to support the parents on their teams.”

Many studies focus solely on working mothers or “working parents” but there is considerably less data on working fathers. According to a study from University of Twente, working mothers “feel more guilt than working fathers” as a result of internalised gender stereotypes. But recent moves to bring more equality to childcare have led to a greater number of employers re-evaluating their own parental care policies.

Mr Shekhtman told HRD that this is where hybrid and remote working options should come to the fore.

“Offering flexibility in some form - an umbrella system that can include hybrid and fully remote options - has benefits for worker satisfaction, work-life balance, productivity, and retentions, along with making companies who offer this more attractive to potential jobseekers,” he said.

“However, our research also shows that being in the office still has concrete benefits. Nearly two-thirds of professionals said they have more effective relationships with colleagues whom they’ve met face-to-face versus those they have not.”

The majority of employees are reportedly happy with collaborating in person (47 per cent) versus virtually (34 per cent).  

“With that in mind, rather than settling on either end of the spectrum, companies can reap the benefits of both by offering flexibility through remote options with some purposeful on-site days for things like team building and collaborating, as well as other hybrid set-ups that meet the needs of both the business and individuals,” Mr Shekhtman said.

“Managers should communicate with their team members about their priorities and concerns, to help create schedules that work for everyone.”

Source: HRD

(Links and quotes via original reporting)