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E
nsuring
W
ork
-F
amily
B
alance
In 2011, the vast majority (90 per cent) of Australian fathers
of children aged under 18 years were employed and worked on
average 45 hours per week, compared to 30 hours for mothers.
Research undertaken by AIFS in the Longitudinal Study of
Australian Children has shown that fathers who work longer
hours experience more time pressures and are more likely to
report that their work interferes with their family life. They
have less time with their children – who themselves feel that
their fathers work too much – and may be perceived as being
of less support to mothers in raising their children. There is
considerable variation among fathers, however, and negative
effects on fathers’ well-being are actually less likely among
those who prefer working longer hours.
Among couple families, the ‘male breadwinner’ model (father
employed full-time and mother not employed) was traditionally
the predominant work-family model. However, the significant
increase in maternal employment, particularly part-time, over
the past 20 years has seen a major trend towards a ‘modified
male breadwinner’ model (father employed full-time and mother
employed part-time). For example, of couples with children aged
under 18 years in 2011, 21 per cent had both parents working
full-time; 32 per cent had the father employed full-time and
the mother part-time; and 26 per cent had the father employed
full-time and the mother either not employed or on leave from
employment. Another 7 per cent were jobless, leaving 14 per cent
43 44
19
7
4
24
5
30
12
6
2
58
0
20
40
60
Mother
Father
Percentage
Work at home
Shift work
Other
None of these
Flexible hours
Part-time work
Working arrangements adopted by parents to care
for children aged under 12 years
Source: ABS 2011 Childhood Education and Care Survey (confidentialized unit record file)
Image: iStock.com/LivingImages
Fathers working long hours experience more time pressure and are more likely to report that their work interferes with their family life