In line with National Work Life Week this week, we’re publishing the best and worst sectors for workplace flexibility for dads.
The findings, which come from wider research as part of the Millennial Dad at Work report, reveal that the Construction industry is best for workplace flexibility and the Advertising industry, one of the worst if you are hoping that your request for a change in working hours is looked on favourably.
A change in working hours
Specifically looking at those offering a change in working hours, the best and worst sectors were as follows.
The best five sectors were:
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Construction / Home improvement
48% have requested a change in working hours since becoming a father, with 73% successful.
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Retail
51% of dads who worked in the retail sector have requested a change in working hours since becoming a dad, with 73% successful.
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Pharmaceutical/Chemical
54% of dads who work in this sector have requested a change in working hours since becoming a father, and 70% have been successful.
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Utilities
42% of dads who worked in this sector have requested a change in working hours with 69% successful.
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Transportation/Distribution
42% of dads requested a working hours change with 66% successful.
Others who made it into the top ten include the healthcare sector, the education sector, engineering and architecture and business services.
The worst three sectors for agreeing a change in working hours were:
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Non Profit
Only 17% of the dads we interviewed in the non profit sector had requested a change in working hours, with only 17% successful.
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Wholesale
24% of the dads we interviewed in the wholesale sector had requested a change in working hours, but only 39% were successful.
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Advertising
Of the 28% of those who worked in advertising, only 33% of those dads had been successful in requesting a change in working hours.
Working from home
In terms of options for home working, the top five performing industries for working from home 1-2 days a week were:
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Finance/Banking
34% have requested to work from home 1-2 days a week since becoming a father, with 45% successful.
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Business/Professional services
36% have requested to work from home 1-2 times per week, with 37% being successful.
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Non Profit
25% have requested to work from home 1-2 days a week with 33% being successful.
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Computers/Internet
25% have requested to work from home 1-2 days a week since becoming a father, with 31% successful.
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Government/Military
13% have made the request to work from home 1-2 days a week with 27% successful.
Those languishing at the bottom were:
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Accounting
13% of the fathers we interviewed who worked in Accounting had requested working from home 1-2 days a week since becoming a father, with only 15% of those successfully granted it.
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Pharmaceutical/chemical
8% of the dads working in this sector had requested working from home 1-2 days a week, but only 10% were successful.
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Media/Printing/Publishing
4% had requested home working 1 – 2 days a week with only 7% successful.
Changing the dads at work picture
With over half of millennial dads (58%) more actively involved in day to day parenting than ever before, it is increasingly important that employers are able to offer flexibility in order to retain their best staff. National Work Life Week is an opportunity for both employers and employees to focus on wellbeing at work and work life balance.
It is clear that some sectors are more accommodating than others and those languishing at the bottom of the league tables need to make an effort to understand what employees want. Change is all around us and with companies like Deloitte and Aviva offering better paternity leave and flexible working options than ever before, those sectors who are currently found wanting need to up their game to keep up with the changing times and retain their best staff.
The rankings in full
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