Hidden rules and competing logics

New fathers, ideal workers? New players in the field of father‐friendly work organizations

“…However, this traditional model of women interrupting employment several years for home‐based childcare and working part‐time during the phase of active motherhood, and fathers primarily providing for their family, is gradually unraveling. In light of shifting fatherhood ideals and discourses about “modern dads”, “new fathers”, and “active” or “involved fathers” (Fthenakis, 1999⁠; Possinger, 2013), Germany's federal government introduced family policy reforms that challenge the legitimacy of this model and target fathers as caregivers (Oechsle & Beaufaÿs, 2017, p. 122). With these changes, Germany follows the example of Nordic welfare states with strong emphases on gender equality (BMFSFJ, 2006) and policies aimed at promoting equal parenting.…”

“…A paradigm change for German family policy (Oechsle & Beaufaÿs, 2017) Despite these changes and fathers' stronger interest in spending more time with their children and working fewer hours (Bernhardt et al, 2016 ;BMFSFJ, 2018 ;Forsa, 2013 ;Fthenakis, 2006), childcare leave and flexible working arrangements often remain unused by German fathers. Work organizations do increasingly advertise family-work reconciliation measures also to their male employees.…”

“…Qualitative studies indicate that organizations' expectations toward their male workers lacking care obligations have resulted in a system of "hidden rules" Oechsle & Beaufaÿs, 2017) hindering fathers' "sense of entitlement" (Hobson et al, 2014 ;Lewis, 1997 ;Lewis & Smithson, 2001) to make use of family-friendly measures, even when they have legal rights to do so. It has been shown that fathers anticipate the negative consequences for their careers such as the flexibility stigma (Burnett et al, 2013 ;Coltrane et al, 2013) and hesitate to put their preferred work-family arrangement into practice .…”

“…Organizational assumptions about fathers being the breadwinners make fathers feel invisible in their parental role (Burnett et al., 2013, p. 633) because family‐friendly policies are perceived as targeting working mothers only. Qualitative studies indicate that organizations' expectations toward their male workers lacking care obligations have resulted in a system of “hidden rules” (Alemann et al., 2017⁠; Oechsle & Beaufaÿs, 2017) hindering fathers' “sense of entitlement” (Hobson et al., 2014⁠; Lewis, 1997⁠; Lewis & Smithson, 2001) to make use of family‐friendly measures, even when they have legal rights to do so. It has been shown that fathers anticipate the negative consequences for their careers such as the flexibility stigma (Burnett et al., 2013⁠; Coltrane et al., 2013) and hesitate to put their preferred work‐family arrangement into practice (Alemann et al., 2017).…”

“…A paradigm change for German family policy (Oechsle & Beaufaÿs, 2017) was the parental leave and parental support regulation enacted in 2007. It sets incentives for parents to share parental leave by extending the leave duration from 12 to 14 months if both parents take up care responsibilities.…”