Flexible benefits becoming more important to working dads, government research shows

Figures published today (February 18th) by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) have shown that 56 per cent of fathers surveyed by the body, who have children 16 and under, said they would look for an employer who offers flexible benefits when choosing a job.

Some 91 per cent of those with children aged five or under think it is vital fathers have the option to take paid paternity leave, while nearly two-thirds believe a father''s relationship with his child will worsen if he is absent from home after the baby''s birth.

Lord Young, the employment relations minister, said: "We know that rights for dads at work are valued by people and that businesses also see real benefits in offering them.

"But our research shows that there are still some dads out there that are not aware of what they are entitled to and therefore risk missing out."

Last week a survey by the Daycare Trust showed that the average annual cost of nursery care for children over two years of age in England has risen by 5.1 per cent to £4,056, hitting parents at twice the rate of inflation. Back