Bias against parents — and especially mothers — has been well documented. We call it the “Maternal Wall,” and we’ve been studying it for years, researching how women who have always been successful at work sometimes find their competence questioned when they take maternity leave or ask for a flexible work schedule. We know now that this bias can affect fathers, too, when they seek even modest accommodations for caregiving. For example, a consultant in one study reported that he was harassed for taking two weeks of paternity leave — but applauded for taking a three-week vacation to an exotic locale. Parents, studies consistently show, face extra scrutiny.
How Managers Can Be Fair About Flexibility for Parents and Non-Parents Alike
While the data is clear that parents are more likely to face bias at work, sometimes we also hear about a different problem: that people without children find that their managers are more understanding of working parents’ need for flexibility, while expecting childless or unmarried staff to pick up the slack because they “have no life.” How can managers fairly offer flexibility to all their staff? The answer is to offer flexibility to all employees, without making distinctions about why they need it. The bottom line is that flexibility is good for everyone—employees, and the business. If you have a work-from-home or flexible hours policy, it should be reason-neutral. Set clear boundaries and procedures for when employees are expected to be working (or available via email), and then judge people based on the outcomes of their work rather than the face-time they put in. With a little bit of communication, offices can allow everyone to adjust their hours to fit their employees’ strengths, schedules, and accommodate their lives.