Stats on Dads

Hey all, I know this is technically a working "moms" blog but thought I would share some interesting statistics about dads. My disclaimer is that this information obviously doesn't apply to all dads but does give us some perspective around the struggles that dads feel when trying to balance family and career!

According to a national poll from Workplace Options, a provider of work-life programs and employee benefits the poll results are as follows:

• More than two-thirds of working fathers (68%) have experienced negativity or problems with their current employer due to conflicts between their job and duties as a caregiver; 57% reported that it has happened multiple times with this employer.
• Nearly half of employed fathers (48%) said they spend less than a quarter of the day (six hours) with their children — a stark contrast to 31% of working mothers who reported the same time constraints due to their job.
• Substantially more fathers reported that they frequently take time off of work to deal with child- and family-related issues than did mothers (56% vs. 40%).

About four out of 10 fathers in the workforce (39%) said the demands of their current job detract from their ability to interact with and support children and family.

According to the Workplace Options survey, 70% of employed fathers considered their current employer to be understanding of their family responsibilities. However, 43% also reported their current employer could provide more tools, programs or assistance to help them balance their roles at work with those at home.

We at Ohio State have more work to do in helping support moms and dads on their quest to strike work life balance but in the meantime, cheers to all parents who try hard to find creative ways to have a career you love while spending time with the people you love!