Almost one in five fathers currently working from home would resign if their employers mandated a full-time return to the office, new research indicates.
A study by King’s College London found that while flexible working policies may exist on paper, workplace cultures, expectations around visibility, and assumptions about commitment often hinder fathers from utilising them effectively.
The survey, which polled over 8,200 working fathers, revealed that approximately 17 per cent of those currently working remotely would quit their jobs rather than return to the office five days a week.
The report also highlighted a significant disparity, with fathers desiring at least two working-from-home days per week – double what their employers typically permit. Furthermore, fathers who work remotely are often rated less favourably for promotion by managers.
Professor Heejung Chung, a co-author of the report, emphasised the broader implications of these findings. “Flexible working was never a mothers’ issue. It’s time we stopped treating it like one,” she stated.
Professor Chung added that “post-pandemic fathers have discovered something their own fathers never had: the school run, dinner time, the chance to actually be there supporting family well-being and financial stabilities.”
She concluded by noting the profound societal shift underway: “What is more, when men are involved, not only do their ideas of what it means to be a man changes but so do their children’s. A generation is growing up with a different idea of masculinity. Remote work isn’t just reshaping offices, it’s reshaping families and the future of gender roles.”
