While articles are frequently published about the challenges of being a working mom, the challenges for working dads have historically stayed off the radar. But as more male millennial professionals step into fatherhood, the importance of work-life-balance for dads has become a hot topic. One 2013 survey revealed that fathers, even more so than mothers, reported unhappiness with the amount of time they had to spend away from their families, and reports since then have boasted similar findings. Luckily for dads working in tech, balance can become a reality.
Most tech employers already know the importance of offering competitive benefits and fun perks to attract and retain top talent. What they might not realize is that many IT pros seek family-friendly benefits over some of the flashier perks (i.e. unlimited massages, free meals, and yoga) offered by the tech behemoths of Silicon Valley. ESP IT’s own Millennial employees agreed that in both their own professional experiences and through the years of helping their peers in the tech industry to advance their careers, perks that encouraged work-life balance and time with family were a top priority.
Luckily for tech employers and IT pros, the tech industry has made a name for itself for allotting increased flexibility to fathers – including paid paternity leave, flexible scheduling for full-time IT employees (and even greater flexibility to tech contract workers), the ability to work remotely, and ever-increasing paychecks that allow dads to comfortably support their families. Because of this, tech jobs recently comprised approximately half of a 2016 list of Best Jobs for Work-Life Balance.
Not only are dads in IT able to spend important hours at home with their families – they’re able to strengthen and encourage their children by including them in their work. In one article, a techie dad writes that by engaging with his daughters about his work he is able to expose them to the tech industry (something we encourage all IT pros to do to promote a future gender-balanced IT workforce) while bonding with them over his passions – thereby strengthening their relationship in new ways.
Whether it’s an issue of spending more time at home with the kids, being able to support the family, or fostering valuable skills for your loved ones by sharing in what you do, dads (and moms) who work in IT really can ‘have it all’. For more information about working dads and IT, check out our infographic below.
IT Pro or otherwise, wishing a very happy Father’s Day to all!
Editor’s Note: This blog was originally published in 2013, and has been revamped to reflect updated tech industry information and working dad statistics.
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