Breadwinning dads scared to ask bosses to cut working hours: Oz study

MELBOURNE - Fathers struggling to juggle jobs and family responsibilities admit they are scared to ask bosses to reduce their hours for fear it may harm their careers, says an Australian study.

A Galaxy survey conducted for Father’s Day reveals that while most dads battle to balance work and fatherhood, younger dads have the biggest problems striking a work-life balance.

But they wouldn’t swap fatherhood for anything - nine out of 10 say being a dad is fulfilling, while 75 per cent report they are happy or very happy.

Researchers surveyed 1255 men with children aged up to 17 in a weeklong poll.

More than half (56 per cent) said they found it difficult to balance work and family life, yet 64 per cent felt their careers would suffer if they asked their employer for more time to spend with their children.

There was a particular reluctance among young fathers, those considered the breadwinner in the family and men from households with an above-average income to talk to bosses about the problem.

Fathers with high incomes reported they were happier than those who earned less.

“Some people have argued in the past that even though your income may be higher, you’ve got greater outgoing expenses,” the Daily Telegraph quoted Galaxy principal David Briggs as saying.

“It still seems to me that in higher-income families, you have a buffer against financial problems,” he added. (ANI)