The Covid pandemic has seen a clear and obvious divide in how the sexes have fared with home working, with women consistently reporting that they have had to do more of the domestic duties, even if both partners are working from home.

A recent survey from the University of Chicago illustrates how stark this gender divide is, with men and women having very different perspectives on the division of labor at home.  What’s more, this division also extends into how men and women perceive the impact of having a child on areas such as workplace success and job security.

For instance, while men believe they share the household responsibilities equally, women are more likely to believe they do more of the chores.  Indeed, roughly a third of mothers said that they do more than their partner for each of the eight different household responsibilities explored in the research.  Just 3% of fathers said they do likewise.

“Although the gap between what mothers and fathers report is significant, it is not what either anticipates before they have children—and that’s what is so interesting,” the researchers say. “Prior to becoming parents, most men and women expect that they will share the division of labor equally across all household activities, but their views on whether that is actually the case diverge after they have a child.”

Views on parenthood

The research revealed a clear divide in the perceived impact of having a child on one’s career.  Around half of the respondents thought that having a child would be an obstacle to progress in their career, including in terms of pay rises or job security.  Whereas 47% of women thought this to be the case, however, just 36% of men thought so too.

What’s more, those in lower-income roles were also more likely to think that having a child would impact their career progression and job security.

“Women and lower-income Americans are especially likely to feel they are paying a penalty at work for becoming a parent,” the researchers explain. “Whether it comes in the form of limited job choices because of the need for a schedule that accommodates parenting or having less job security, these groups feel they are missing out on career opportunities compared to their co-workers without children.”

The research also reveals that a growing number of adults are choosing jobs that have a sufficient schedule to allow them to successfully balance their work and private life.  Despite this, nearly 70% report getting support from their family and friends to do this.

This is reflected in the fact that 74% of women report the availability of flexible work being crucial in any decision around whether or not to have a child, but 66% of men think likewise.  The results demonstrate the important considerations employees are facing in a post-Covid world.  They’re considerations that if employers want to attract the best talent, they need to be cognisant of.