According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in the first decade of the 21st century the number of stay-at-home dads more than doubled from 81,000 to 176,000. Also, 45 percent of family caregivers are now male. 40 percent of people caring for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients are male as well. The image of “male as breadwinner” took a beating during the Great Recession of 2008 when twice as many men lost jobs as women. Societal changes have also had an influence, leading males to pursue alternatives that allow them to spend more time with their families.

Do Real Men Leave Their Jobs for Family Reasons?Unfortunately, many employers view the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) as solely in regard to females. Many managers fail to exercise gender equality when applying their family leave policies and refuse to honor male requests for parental leave or flexible scheduling. As a result, the Center for WorkLife Law reported the number of family caregiver discrimination cases brought by males rose 300 percent between 2005 and 2010. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has also reported a steady increase in the number of caregiver discrimination cases brought by males.

A wide range of higher education programs, from law schools to forensic psychology graduate programs to MBA courses, must teach corporate attorneys and employers about the importance of applying family leave policy in a gender-neutral way. Employers should start by changing their policies and continue by changing their cultures.

Changing Policies and Procedures

These days, Mommy isn’t the only one asking for time off when a baby is born. Fathers want to be present for childbirth, and they want to support their partners in the following weeks. Many attorneys suggest organizations change all references to “maternal leave” in their policy handbooks to “parental leave.” Even a small name change can make managers aware they should consider the needs of both parents.

Employers also need to educate managers to identify potential minefields related to gender-related caregiver discrimination. Some areas where mistakes are often made include:

  • Denying caregiver leave to a male. If your company policy or collective bargaining agreement allows females to take child-rearing leave, then your policies also have to allow the same privileges for males, or else you risk facing public policy violations..
  • Creating a hostile working environment. A hostile work environment means managers allow themselves or coworkers to make disparaging comments, to deliver substandard job assignments or to harass male employees who are caregivers.
  • Showing preference when hiring. For example, hiring a male with no children instead of hiring a more qualified male who has young children or a pregnant partner could make a company vulnerable to a lawsuit.
  • Being inflexible. If a male employee asks for a more flexible or a work-from-home schedule because of caregiving responsibilities, then employers have to be willing to work with him, particularly if they have made exceptions for females in the past.

Changing Organizational Culture

Research from Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s National Study of Employers shows employers that have a diverse work environment and policies favoring work-life balance find their employees are more engaged, more satisfied with their jobs, more mentally healthy, more loyal and more capable of handling both personal and work stressors. Some work-life policies the foundation suggested include providing:

  • Flexibility. Employees can set their own leave and arrival times, or they can telecommute when they need to take care of children or seniors.
  • Leaves of absence. When necessary, caregiving employees can take leaves of absence without penalty.
  • Replacement pay. Women often receive a percentage of pay for maternity leave, but men do not receive the same privilege.
  • Child and elder care assistance. Programs like pre-tax savings accounts for child and elder care are attractive benefits for both male and female employees.
  • Affordable family health care coverage. Affordable policies that provide benefits for children and seniors can greatly increase loyalty among caregiving employees.

Employers need to equally apply family leave policy and need to create a culture valuing a work-life balance. Doing so improves workplace performance for both genders and helps companies retain valuable and talented employees. Those who have the experience in driving their trucks may consider applying for owner operator trucking jobs. You may need to secure Overweight Permits and licenses if you start driving delivery trucks as your new job.

 

About the Author: Tim Westerfeld recently graduated with a master’s degree in forensic psychology. He writes — and telecommutes — from his home.

Disclaimer:  This is a partnered post.