Workplace support of fathers’ parental leave use in Norway

ABSTRACT

This article highlights the importance of social policy and working life contexts for employed fathers’ use of parental leave. It directs attention towards the Norwegian model, which is known for its gender equality aims and welfare-state support to families, but which is also active in the regulation of working life. Based on interviews with fathers who have used the father’s quota (a statutory, earmarked, non-transferable leave), findings run counter to work–family research where gendered assumptions in work organizations are found to prevent active fathering. The interviewed fathers report positive attitudes and supportive practices among employers. Fathers’ stories show that their use of the leave is subject to cooperation and compromising processes at the workplace level that research on fatherhood and organizations have hardly addressed.

RÉSUMÉ

Cet article souligne l’importance des cadres de la politique sociale ainsi que de la vie professionnelle pour l’usage du congé parental des pères qui travaillent. L’article dirige l’attention vers le modèle norvégien. Parmi les objectifs de ce modèle est l’égalité des sexes, et il est également connu pour son soutien de l’État providence aux familles. Pourtant, il réglemente aussi activement la vie professionnelle. Fondée sur des entretiens avec des pères qui se sont servi du congé parental (un congé qui est statutaire, réservé et non transférable) les conclusions vont à l’encontre de la recherche travail-famille où l’on trouve que les suppositions genrées des organisations du travail empêchent la paternité active. Selon les pères qui ont été interviewés ici, il y a parmi les employeurs une attitude positive et des pratiques coopératives. Les histoires des pères indiquent que leur usage du congé est soumis à des processus de compromis et de coopération au niveau de lieu de travail qui n’ont guère été abordés dans la recherche sur la paternité et les organisations.

KEYWORDS:

• Parental leave
• working life
• fathers
• Norwegian model
• context

MOTS-CLÉS:

• Congé parental
• pères
• monde du travail
• le modèle norvégien
• contexte

Acknowledgement

We thank the reviewers for their helpful comments.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Berit Brandth is a professor emerita of sociology at the Department of Sociology and Political Science at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim (NTNU), Norway. Her research focuses on gender, care policies, work/family reconciliation and rural sociology. One central area of study is fathers’ use of parental leave; another is family, work and gender in a changing rural context.

Elin Kvande is a professor of sociology at the Department of Sociology and Political Science at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, Norway. Her research focuses on gender, work and family reconciliation and welfare state policies. One central area of study has been fathers’ use of parental leave; another is internationalization and the Nordic model of work and the welfare state.

Notes

1. From July 1, 2018 the father's quota will be extended to 15 weeks.

Additional information

Funding

This research has been funded by the Research Council of Norway (grant no. 219116/F10).