The view of fatherhood, childcare, and work have altered over the last few decades, with many fathers taking a more active role in caregiving than before and altering their working patterns in line with this. However, such a wide involvement in caregiving for fathers can clash with traditional values about masculinity and work and gender inequality with regards to parenthood.
This results in caregiving fathers facing specific challenges identified as ‘fatherhood forfeits’. These pages provide more detail about the ‘fatherhood forfeits’ and how the 'fatherhood forfeits' can contribute to the gender pay gap. Additionally, it provides practical guidelines on how to support men with caregiving responsibilities and address the ‘fatherhood forfeits’ to improve equality in the workplace – to the benefit of the parents themselves, organisations and society more generally.