Reconciling the ideal worker norm and involved fatherhood: new fathers’ experiences of requesting Shared Parental Leave in UK organizations

Figures & data

Table 1. Participant fathers’ job title, age and length of service (at date of interview) and period of SPL.

Employee	Job Title	Age	Length of Service (at date of interview)	Length of SPL taken
Andrew	Software Architect	41	4.5 years	3-month block plus alternate 2 week on, 2 week off thereafter
Brian	Commercial Data Analyst	32	9 years	3 months
Chris	Acquisition Finance	32	12 years	6 months
David	Lawyer	33	11 years	2.5 months
Edmond	Account manager – advertising agency	31	3 years	5.5 months
Fergus	Business Analyst (public sector)	33	9 years	3 months
Graham	Lawyer	40	18 years	1 month
Henry	Consultant	36	3 years	No SPL taken – 2 months unpaid parental leave
Ian	Senior Chef (public sector)	38	6 years	6 months
Justin	Lawyer	35	7 years	6 months

Table 2. Codes produced by template analysis of interview data.

1. Request process – employee perspective

1.1 Accessibility of information from employer

1.2 Written policy in place?

1.3 Awareness of male colleagues who had accessed flexible working to help with care

1.4 Timing of SPL request – at a time convenient to employer?

1.5 Employer viewed as progressive

1.6 Fear of negative impact of taking SPL on career

1.7 Whether SPL taken in a single block

1.8 Administration of SPL (form filling)

1.9 Use of SPLIT days

2. Request process – manager perspective

2.1 Relationship with manager

2.1.1 Supportive manager/positive experience

2.1.2 Manager’s lack of knowledge of the policy

2.2 Generational differences between managers and fathers

3. Characteristics of employed fathers taking SPL

3.1 Continuity of service

3.2 Amount of SPL taken

3.3 Whether father took paternity leave

3.4 Educational qualifications

3.5 Feeling ‘entitled’ to take SPL

3.6 Attitude towards parenting role/motivation for taking SPL

Table 3. Key characteristics of ‘cautious’ and ‘bold’ fathers.

	Cautious	Bold
Approach to the request process	Internalisation of ideal worker norm leads to concerns over career penalties that influence decisions on timing and/or length of leave period	Less devotion to the ideal worker norm means that SPL request is unaffected by anxiety over career penalty
Practice whilst on leave	Maintains contact with work or undertakes work during leave period	Little work-related contact with colleagues
Practice on return to work	Returns full-time	Adjustment of working pattern/hours to accommodate parental role e.g. shorter working week

Table 4. Further details of participant fathers’ pay whilst on leave, use of KIT days, use of flexible working.

Employee	Child born / total no. of children	Access to enhanced pay?	Used KIT days?	Worked flexibly post-SPL?	Bold or cautious approach
Andrew	November 2016 / 1	Yes – 6 months full pay	Yes – 3 days	Yes – 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off	Bold
Brian	Nov 2016 / 2	Yes – 4 weeks full pay, 8 weeks half	Yes – 3 days	Yes – 4 days for 6 months then FT	Cautious
Chris	June 2016 / 1	No	No	No	Borderline bold/cautious
David	Nov 2016 / 2	Yes – 50% normal pay	No	No	Cautious
Edmond	Dec 2016 / 1	Yes – £250 / week (for first 3 months only)	Yes – 5/6 days	Yes – 4 days / week	Bold
Fergus	August 2016 / 2	No	Yes – 3/4 days	Yes – 5 days compressed to 4	Bold
Graham	Jan 2016 / 2	No	No	No	Cautious
Henry	April 2018 / 1	No	No	Yes – 4 days / week	N/A as did not take SPL
Ian	July 2018 / 1	No	Yes – 3/4 days	Yes – 4 days / week	Bold
Justin	November 2018 / 1	Yes – 50% normal pay	No	Yes (planned to work full-time hours but with flexible conditions)	Bold