Non-Traditional Gender Roles Hurt Dads at Work

A new study suggests that non-traditional care giving roles may be treated unfairly when they fail to fall into the traditional gender norms for family. Worse yet, women without children or mothers with the non-traditional care giving arrangements are treated even more poorly.  

 "Their hours are no different than other employees', but their co-workers appear to be picking up on their non-traditional care giving roles and are treating them disrespectfully," said Prof. Jennifer Berdahl of the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management, according to a press release, who co-authored the study with Sue Moon from the Long Island University Post.

The results of the study were based on two separate field tests that required mail-in surveys. The first looked at unionized workers in female-dominated occupations, while the other targeted public service workers in a male-dominated workforce.

The study showed that men and women who followed the traditional gender roles, i.e., women at home with children and men working, were more accepted with a positive response in the office environment.  

The authors added that how well someone is treated at their job was often influenced as a result of their traditional roles.

"They may choose not to have children if these traditional roles are not feasible for them, or get in the way of family or career goals," Berdahl said, according to a press release.

 "What we really need is a more flexible workplace and policies that protect employees who choose to use that flexibility or not, regardless of their gender," he added.

The study is to be published in the Journal of Social Issues.