New research by Helen Sachdev reveals 64% of dads struggle to return to work after parental leave.

HALF OF WORKING DADS STILL FEEL ‘NERVOUS’ ASKING FOR TIME OFF TO CARE FOR THEIR CHILDREN 👶 Half of working dads in the UK feel nervous about asking for time off to care for their children. Not because they don’t want to be present parents, but because they fear being seen as less committed at work. 📊 New research from Working Families & Wates Group shows that outdated assumptions about who should care are still shaping careers, wellbeing and family life. And it’s holding all of us back. Although three-quarters (74%) of fathers say they want to embrace equal parenting, many fear their employers see childcare as incompatible with career ambition. 💬 This isn’t a “working dads” issue. It’s a workplace culture issue. When men are discouraged from caregiving, women carry more of the load and the gender pay gap widens. 👉The message is clear. Flexibility can’t just exist on paper. It has to be safe to use. If we want healthier families, more equal workplaces and better retention & happier teams, then we need to normalise fathers being carers — visibly, openly, proudly. Check out the full article here: https://lnkd.in/ernaRuD7 #FairPlayTalks #WorkingParents #GenderEquality #WorkingDads #LeadershipMatters #FathersAtWork #FlexibleWorking

In this Fast Company article, Jessica Harrah, Chief People Officer at KinderCare Learning Companies, shares how employers can better support working mothers amid recent data showing a decline in workforce participation among mothers aged 25–44 with young children - the lowest in more than three years. Jessica makes a compelling case that child care isn’t just a family issue, it’s a workforce issue. When parents have access to reliable, high-quality care, they’re more engaged, productive, and likely to stay. Yet, too few employers provide this essential support. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/ee6_aPR8 #mediarelations #clientcoverage #childcare #workplace

📢 New research alert: “Barriers to Equal Parenting” Working Families’ recent survey of 5,000 working fathers across the UK sheds light on the obstacles working fathers face in striving for equal parenting, and what needs to change. Here are a few findings that stood out: 💡 Workplace stigma still looms. 50% of working fathers say they feel nervous asking employers for flexibility. 28% worry doing so will make them seem less committed, and 22% fear it might harm their career progression. 💡 Unequal policies. Many dads feel they’re unable to take full parental leave or access flexible work arrangements, even when they want to. 21% of respondents had been asked, “can your partner cover instead?” Meanwhile, 24% feel guilty asking colleagues to take up their slack. 💡 Generational shift in mindset, but not yet in practice. Gen Z fathers are more likely to want equal parenting and to take the leave they’re entitled to. Yet they worry more about perceptions at work. What dads say would help: ➕ Longer, better-paid leave for all genders (31%) ➕ More flexible working hours (30%) ➕ Open conversations and visible role models (29%) This isn’t just a “parenting issue.” It’s a workplace culture, equity, and business issue. ✨ When men can step up at home, women often face less of the “motherhood penalty.” ✨ Mental health and well-being improve when both parents can share responsibilities. ✨ Organizations that support all caregivers build loyalty, retention, and trust. Real change requires policy + culture + leadership buy-in. It’s not enough to allow flexibility or leave. We must actively normalize and encourage it, especially for fathers. 👉 If you’re a Lawyer Dad and can relate, join us in the Dad, Esq. community. Drop JOIN in the comments or send a DM to Matthew Korn for more info. ___ 🗓️ Register Today for the Dad, Esq. Virtual Summit - Better Lawyers, Better Dads | January 14-15, 2026 | Early Bird Pricing Available through December 14 #WorkingFathers #ParentalLeave #FlexibleWork #GenderEquality #FamilyFriendlyWorkplaces #DadLife #LegalCommunity

True allyship doesn’t stop at the office door; it begins at home. Equity at work is only possible when there’s equity at home. Sharing childcare, household chores, and emotional labour ensures that women aren’t disproportionately burdened by “invisible work.” When men take active roles as caregivers and partners, they help redefine what leadership and balance look like both inside and outside the workplace. via Her Allies #HerAllies #EquityStartsAtHome #EverydayAllyship #WorkLifeBalance #SharedResponsibility #GenderEquality #ParentingPartners #IntersectionalAllyship #AllyshipPrompt

What’s holding working dads back? We're proud to share brand-new national research from Working Families, in partnership with Wates Group, spotlighting the real barriers faced by working dads in the UK today. In a ground-breaking #survey of 5,000 UK fathers, our research reveals that, despite increasing awareness, many still face substantial barriers to balancing work and family life. Inadequate paternity leave, outdated attitudes toward caregiving, and a lack of employer support are having lasting consequences for families, careers, and workplace equality. These challenges don’t exist in isolation. When fathers are held back, mothers continue to carry the greater burden at home, with significant impacts on mental health, career progression, and the gender pay gap. Creating more equitable workplaces means addressing the barriers faced by all parents. We hope this research is the start of real change. Read the full news here: https://lnkd.in/eBZuJncs 🔁 Repost this to keep conversation going. 💬 Comment with your experiences or thoughts. 📢 Tag a leader, colleague, or company that needs to see this. Thank you to Elliott Rae and Parenting Out Loud, The Dad Shift and The Fatherhood Institute for their support on this research. #BarriersToEqualParenting #WorkingFamilies #FutureOfWork #WorkplaceEquity #FathersAtWork #PolicyChange

This brand new research gives us some fascinating insights into how working Dads feel, putting some data to the stories we often hear from Dads struggling to balance work and caring responsibilities.

So proud and excited to share this groundbreaking research as part of my role at Working Families. The survey of 5,000 UK working dads sheds light on the very real barriers fathers face when trying to balance work and care responsibilities and the knock-on effects for mums and families. Some of the findings are stark: 👉 21% of dads have been asked “Where’s your wife/partner?” when requesting flexibility for childcare 👉 1 in 4 dads say there is a perception their partner should cover all childcare instead. 👉 33% of those who couldn't take as much paternity leave as they wanted said it impacted their mental health and the mental health of their partner. When dads aren't supported to share the load at home, the burden falls disproportionately on mums, reinforcing the gender pay gap, limiting career progression for women, and impacting family wellbeing. This isn’t just a dad issue, it’s a workplace equality issue. And it’s time for change. #WorkingDads #ParentalLeave #GenderEquality #FutureOfWork #Inclusion #Leadership

"74% of dads want to parent equally, but feel there's a stigma about taking time off work" Here's what's so striking about this stat: it reveals a huge gulf between our values and our reality in this country. Here are the values: most of this generation of dads *want* to parent more equally. Why? Because we want to do right by our partners, and above all, we want time and connection with our kids. Because we know that's what makes for a happy, fulfilling life for a father. Then there's the reality: our work cultures and government policies make leaving these values next to impossible. If we're going to shift that, we need to start with improving statutory paternity leave. In countries with a decent amount of properly paid paternity leave that everyone can take, the norms around dads' involvement in childcare shift dramatically. It's a simple mechanism: if *all* men in society are allowed and can afford to take a good amount of paternity, no one is the odd one out, so everyone feels safer to do it. And pretty quickly, the cultural norm moves to catch up. Big thanks to Working Families for this brilliant research.

Recall asking (previous employer) for slightly condensed hours to enable me to do the school run a single day per week and a manager responding immediately with: "Why? Can't your wife do it?" This both degraded my role as a father in my daughter's life, and by connection relegated my wife to the position of lower earner, as she had to keep working reduced hours. The manager's response was that this was the way it was done when he had had kids. I'm now staunchly of the belief that companies should look to slowly increasing their fully paid paternity leave so that it reaches a minimum or 12 weeks by 2040. Increase the paternity leave, and you'll improve the lives of women in the workplace, and reduce the gender pay gap. #SoapboxMoment

At a workshop last week, one line really stuck with me: “If we want gender equality in the workplace, we have to have gender-neutral parental leave policies.” I wanted to scream “yes!” through the computer screen. They went on to explain how using “primary” and “secondary caregiver” language in leave policies doesn’t just create confusion, it creates barriers. Barriers for men who genuinely want to raise their hand and be equal caregivers. Barriers for women who end up defaulting into the “primary” role because of how the policy is written. It also opens companies up to legal risks they might not even realize. Yes! Yes! Yes. This is exactly why I care so much about using the term parental leave. “Maternity” and “paternity” leave put people in boxes that don’t reflect real families and often alienate the very people they’re meant to support. I can’t tell you how many maternity leave policies I’ve seen that really mean “birthing parent.” Or how awful it feels to tell an expecting mom she doesn’t qualify for her employer’s maternity leave because she’s using a surrogate (though I always encourage her to push back). I’ve also seen paternity leave policies that are clearly written for dads but actually apply to any non-birthing parent, which, news flash, can be women. And just as many policies that offer different benefits for “primary” and “secondary” caregivers, when what they really mean is “birthing parent” and “non-birthing parent.” Why can’t we just say that? Or better yet, why not have a policy that offers the same benefits for all new parents, and a culture where everyone actually takes that leave? And just in case you think that’s unrealistic. I'll argue the opposite: It’s unrealistic that parents are expected to return to work within weeks (or even days) of having a child. ________________________________________________________________ I’m Linzay Davis, founder of Hello, Bundle and mom of two. I post about making the most of your parental leave and why the U.S. system needs a serious upgrade. Follow along for tips on navigating confusing benefits, maximizing time off, and advocating for better support for working parents.