Father’s Day this year is celebrated on Sunday 18th June.
Father’s Day was inspired by the success and presence of Mother’s Day which began back in the early 20th Century. It is a day to honor fatherhood and parental bonds along with the influence of fathers in society. In the UK, Father’s Day falls every year on the third Sunday in June, for the rest of the world this day is held on different dates. Everyone chooses to celebrate Father’s Day differently, but generally, sons and daughters make a special effort to visit their Dad, along with sending cards and buying gifts, these gifts can be anything from something homemade to socks, slippers, sports items, other clothing, or even garden tools.
Fathers in the Workplace
Over the year things have changed within parenthood and Fathers are now more involved in raising their children. Years ago, it was usually the mothers that juggled the demands of work and home life.
The government over the years have recongnised changes in fathers’ roles and made a commitment to:
- Encourage flexible working.
- To make it easier for fathers to take paternity leave.
- Enable parents to take extended leave for neonatal care.
- Funding more childcare before and after school and during holidays.
- Extend leave entitlement for unpaid carers.
What employers can do
Employers need to be proactive in promoting parental leave rights to fathers.
Some employers do not share information with their employees about shared parental leave unless an employee asks about it and most employees are unaware of their rights and entitlements.
Companies should ensure they are fair and consistent when dealing with flexible working requests from fathers. Employers who allow flexible working and have a positive approach to flexibility can be more versatile, resilient, and responsive to change.
Happy Father’s Day to all Dads you are all doing a fantastic job.
If you need any HR advice on current rights for fathers in the workplace or how you can become more family-friendly, please contact Clover HR on 0330 175 6601 or email us at info@cloverhr.co.uk
