New fathers have difficulty returning to the workplace

Sleepless nights, guilt because the woman is physically is still recovering and wants to enjoy a new role: more than three-quarters of new fathers experience challenges returning to the workplace after birthof their child. This is evident from research by 24baby and Parents Inc. among more than a thousand women.

The research shows that partners have a hard time returning to work after work
birth of their child. Of the respondents, 77% indicate that their partner is having a hard time
felt like going back to work.

Different challenges
Fatigue due to sleepless nights is a common obstacle to fully returning to work as a father. The care then more often falls to the mother: 'Sleep deprivation and work really didn't go together for him, so I took care of most nights.' This also applies if the father works fewer hours, because in most cases the amount of work does not decrease.

In addition, this research shows that fathers find it difficult to manage their new family
to leave your recovering partner at home. This keeps mother and baby in a bubble,
while the father has to get back into the daily rhythm. This creates a distance between
parents: 'Mentally the work felt useless, he felt needed at home. Back to work
felt unnatural. He wanted to be with our child.”

Need for family-friendly employment practices
A majority of both mothers and fathers experience challenges when returning to pregnancy
the workplace. Getting used to a new phase, combining work and care and...
flexibility that is needed to care for a sick child, for example, is new to many
parents hard. Family-friendly employment practices help to overcome challenges during the special time surrounding the birth of a child. If someone is ill for a long time, a reintegration process follows. “Why don't we consider the return to work after such an intense period as reintegration?” one respondent asked.

Lotte Bode, founder of Parents Inc. and expert in the field
family-friendly employership: “Having a child is a life event that
has a huge impact. In today's Dutch work culture, family and work often come together
separate worlds, leading to conflicts of loyalty among working parents. Private life suddenly attracts so much more than it ever did before. “An employer who recognizes this phase and develops appropriate policy ensures that employees can optimally fulfill their role as parents and professionals.”

Leave for partners

Since 2020, there has been more room for fathers to take maternity leave with the WIEG-
regulation. At the time, research by 24baby showed that almost all parents wanted to request this, yet 26% does not use it. With the scheme, only 70% of the salary is paid. This is a major stumbling block for many parents. Moreover, not all employers encourage their fathers to use it. Longer leave is mentioned in the research – for both fathers and mothers – as a possible solution to the challenges parents experience when returning to the workplace. This gives more time to get used to the new situation and to divide the tasks as parents equally.

Bode: “The expansion of maternity leave for partners is a good step, but in the...
In practice it is confusing for employees and employers and sometimes simply impossible
pay. It is important that the government and employers work together to create a...
to create a working environment in which parents can make a healthy start together
combine parenting and work.”