Working dads use children as a ‘good excuse’ to clock out early

“Ideally, parents shouldn’t feel pressured to rely on cover stories. They should feel comfortable having honest conversations about their responsibilities outside of work and trust that occasional flexibility won’t be viewed as a lack of commitment.”

Hiring challenges for working dads

The report, released ahead of Father’s Day, also revealed a persisting caution among working dads when it comes to disclosing information about their families.

According to the findings, 22.4% of men have actively hidden being a parent, 1.6x times more likely than women (14.1%).

Men are also more likely to deliberately avoid mentioning their children during the hiring process, with 11.8% admitting to this behaviour, compared with just 7.3% of women.

Efforts to downplay or actively hide having children comes amid continuous questions about families during the hiring process, despite discomfort from jobseekers.