Men Taking Up Career Leave: An Opportunity for a Better Work and Family Life Balance?

Abstract

In 2004, 9 per cent of female employees took advantage of the system of ‘career break’ or ‘time credit’ in Flanders, compared to only 3 per cent of male workers. Although the number of men taking a career break is increasing, they remain a small group. In this article the time use of men interrupting their careers full-time or part-time is compared to that of full-time working men, using representative time use data from 2004. Analyses show that a career break does not imply a reduced workload. Half of the men interrupting their career full-time do so to try out another job. Men who take part-time leave are mainly motivated by their desire for a better work and family life balance. About 80 per cent of the time they gain by working on a part-time basis is allocated to household and childcare activities. This suggests that encouraging men to work fewer hours could well be the best policy for achieving gender equality.

Masculinity and the Stalled Revolution

“…Yet, there is evidence that some men’s behaviors are affected by supportive work–family policy interventions. For instance, there is evidence that “use it or lose it” paternity leaves at the national level increase men’s use of leave (Ekberg, Eriksson, and Friebel 2013; Patnaik 2015), and that taking leave or “career breaks” promotes their involvement in child care and housework (Kotsadam and Finseraas 2011; Patnaik 2015; Schober 2014; Smith and Williams 2007; Vandeweyer and Glorieux 2008). Although fewer studies examine the effects of organizational-level policies, they show that men who take advantage of employer-sponsored leave tend to engage more in female-typed household tasks (Estes, Noonan, and Maume 2007) and child care activities (Lundquist, Misra, and O’Meara 2012).…”

Scaling Back and Finding Flexibility: Gender Differences in Parents' Strategies to Manage Work–Family Conflict

“…of occupations (Anxo et al, 2011;Craig & Mullan, 2010;Vanderweyer & Glorieux, 2008). There is limited evidence from representative studies of North America, especially in the Canadian population.…”

“…Research documenting the use of such strategies often relies on small samples of professional or executive women that do not capture the broader experiences of women in the labor force or make adequate gender comparisons (Blair‐Loy, ; Landivar, ; Stone, ; Sweezy & Jones, ; for exceptions, see also Carr, ; Maume, ; Reddick, Rochlen, Grasso, Reilly, & Spikes, ; Vanderweyer & Glorieux, ). Several European studies more adequately reflect men's and women's nuanced work–family situations across a myriad of occupations (Anxo et al, ; Craig & Mullan, ; Vanderweyer & Glorieux, ). There is limited evidence from representative studies of North America, especially in the Canadian population.…”

The Impact of Social Policy on the Gendered Division of Housework

“…There is evidence of a positive relationship between paternity leave and a more equal division of housework in other European countries, as well. In Vandeweyer and Glorieux's () study of the Belgian system of a “career break,” results suggest that part‐time, male career breakers use the majority of their new free time for domestic work and child care. The authors concluded that encouraging men to take time away from work may be the best way to achieve gender equality in the family.…”