New research proposes shift in policy design for parental leave and remote work
New research has found that Canadian fathers who embraced remote work during the pandemic reported increased involvement in household and childcare duties. Furthermore, fathers who have previously taken parental leave also show improved involvement in household and childcare tasks alongside their partners.
But access to these policies remains limited, partly due to how they are generally structured.
Employment policies in Canada
In Canada, despite its reputation for generous parental leave provisions, exclusivity issues arise. Moreover, parental leave programs outside Québec offer low wage replacement rates and restrictive eligibility criteria. Paternity leave policies further limit accessibility and excludes many low-income parents.
Flexible work arrangements, while less intricate, encounter similar issues of uneven access. The decision for remote work lies with employers, creating disparities based on managerial opinions and perpetuating stereotypes about remote workers.
The impact of these policies tends to favor those already possessing socio-economic advantages, including high wage top-ups and positions unaffected by managerial biases.
The way forward
To address these disparities, the research proposes a shift in policy design. “To ensure more people benefit from parental leave and flexible work policies, our study suggests they must provide greater support for more people’s work and care lives,” the authors said in an article in The Conversation.
“In terms of flexible work arrangements, the right to remote work should acknowledge the diverse caregiving needs and responsibilities of all individuals, including fathers. One step in this direction would be to frame flexible work policies as a human right available to all workers, regardless of parental or gender status, to mitigate the stigma associated with working remotely and encourage widespread use,” they said.
The success of Québec's inclusive policy framework, where 85.6 percent of fathers take parental or paternity leave compared to 23.5 percent in the rest of Canada, underscores the need for a more inclusive approach nationwide.
“If more Canadians are to harness the benefits of parental leave and remote work, we need to design employment and care policies in ways that recognize individuals of all gender identities as not just workers, but as caregivers and care receivers throughout their lives,” the authors added.
