Fathers and work

Paid work has previously been a barrier to greater involvement in family life. Are fathers still working long hours or working in the evenings or at week-ends? What patterns do modern fathers work?  

Key facts and figures

The number of fathers working long hours - 48 hours or more per week - fell between 2001 and 2011 from 40% to 31%.

There has been a marked decline in the proportion of fathers working evenings, nights or weekends.

Latest outputs

Inequalities in parental leave: full report

Briefing paper

23 Nov 2017 / Download

This report looks at inequalities in access to paid maternity and paternity leave and flexible work

Parental Working in Europe: Working Hours

Briefing paper

24 Mar 2016 / Download

This paper looks at parents' average working hours and long working hours and how this has changed.

Parental Working in Europe: Underemployment

Briefing paper

24 Mar 2016 / Download

This paper investigates the changing proportion of parents across Europe who want to work more hours than they currently do.

Parental Working in Europe: Non-standard working hours

Briefing paper

24 Mar 2016 / Download

This paper looks at the proportion of parents working shift work, evening work, night work and weekend work.

Parental Working in Europe: Household Patterns of Work

Briefing paper

24 Mar 2016 / Download

This paper updates earlier research into working patterns, covering more countries - 17 countries up from 8 - and extending the analysis from 2011 to 2013.

Parental Working in Europe: Methodology

Briefing paper

24 Mar 2016 / Download

A brief summary explaining classifications, definitions, country groupings, data and methods used.

Work-family conflict: fathers’ experiences from a cross-national perspective

Presentation slides

24 Sep 2015 / Download

Presented at the seminar of the British Psychological Society DOP Work-life Balance Working Group, London.

Fathers: a new policy agenda

Presentation slides

3 Jul 2014 / Download

Presented at the Modern Fatherhood: Fathers, Work and Families in twenty-first century Britain seminar on Thursday 3rd July 2014 at the Institute of Education.

Trends in fathers’ work-family arrangements in UK: 2001-2011

Presentation slides

3 Jul 2014 / Download

Presented at the Modern Fatherhood: Fathers, Work and Families in twenty-first century Britain seminar on Thursday 3rd July 2014 at the Institute of Education.  

Work-family conflict: how do UK fathers compare to other European fathers?

Presentation slides

3 Jul 2014 / Download

Presented at the Modern Fatherhood: Fathers, Work and Families in twenty-first century Britain seminar on Thursday 3rd July 2014 at the Institute of Education.