Who are the men who reduce their working hours?

BarcelonaIf he worked full-time, Mirko would have to work seven and a half hours, but he's been working five and a half for the last six years. During this time, he's taken a reduced work schedule to balance work and raising his three children with his wife. They also have two children, one each, from previous relationships. So, in total, there are days or weeks when they have five children. They've lived in Barcelona for over twenty-five years, but they don't have extended family; he's German and she's from Venezuela, and therefore they've had to be very organized over the years.

When their first child was born, his wife only worked as a nursing assistant on weekends, so day-to-day life was relatively easy. She could take care of the children when they weren't in school, and he could work full-time in the administration department of a multinational company. But after a while, she wanted to study nursing, and they had to shake up the family's logistics: he took on the burden of caregiving, which meant reducing his working hours because otherwise, it wasn't possible to look after the children. The youngest was two at the time, the middle one four, and the oldest five. It wasn't difficult for him, and he did it willingly. "Normally, the privilege of always being there belongs to the mothers, and in this case, I've been able to be there for them as they've grown up, especially the youngest," acknowledges Mirko, who boasts that he's the one who picks them up from school, helps them with their homework, and takes them to extracurricular activities.

Pablo's case is another example of this family arrangement. He's a social worker for the Barcelona City Council. His partner works at a bank, and like Mirko's family, they're both originally from outside Barcelona—Madrid and Asturias, respectively—and are living alone in the city. When they decided to become parents, they did so consciously, as they wanted to dedicate themselves to it, which explains their choice. "I don't know if the need to take care of the children comes first, or the desire," says Pablo when explaining what motivated him to adopt this arrangement. "Working more might give me more money, but it doesn't make me happier," reflects Pablo, who adds that he sees it as a temporary situation, that his son will need him less and less, and that later on, he might not even want them around so much. Now, Mirko is seven years old, and they enjoy sharing many moments together.

(Slight) change in trend

It's not the norm for men to take reduced working hours. Although there's a growing trend towards this option, it's still only chosen by three out of ten mothers and one out of ten fathers. Furthermore, official data shows that mothers tend to take reduced hours for much longer than fathers. 57% of fathers who reduce their hours do so for less than a year, while 64% of women extend it for more than twelve months.

Anna Escobedo is a professor in the sociology department at the University of Barcelona and specializes in this area. She emphasizes that reduced working hours are a "low-profile" form of unpaid leave that has become increasingly common in recent years and essentially allows people to choose their work schedule and create more childcare-friendly hours. "Perhaps just reducing working hours by one-eighth is enough to fit in a schedule," says Escobedo, "and even if I earn less, I don't have to be on a treadmill to get everything done."

For Escobedo, the proportion of fathers and mothers who opt for it is considerable, given that it's an unpaid measure, but he insists it's like a luxury. "You can only afford it if you have a healthy financial situation that allows you to forgo certain income," Escobedo warns, "or if it's more cost-effective to quit your job than to pay for babysitters." This view is also shared by Josep M. Lozano, a psychologist specializing in masculinities, who identifies socioeconomic status as one of the biases that most affects this measure. "People with low incomes don't have access, and for them it's a pipe dream," says Lozano. "Reduced working hours are a privilege of the middle class, university graduates, public sector professionals..." Both Pablo and Mirko are aware of this situation. "Despite the reduced hours, my salary is higher than many of the salaries paid in Barcelona," says Pablo, who admits to feeling "privileged." The decision, however, was made with the "absolute awareness" that his situation is "enviable." Of this small luxury, Mirko emphasizes that, above all, what has surprised him most is the improvement in his quality of life. The salary reduction has been "outright" compensated, since he can see his children during all his free time, whereas before he arrived home around seven. For this reason, he issues a warning to other men who don't take advantage of this: "They don't know what they're missing. It's fantastic."

More egalitarian families, fewer divorces

Greater parental involvement in raising children leads to more egalitarian families. Escobedo believes that if sequential paternity leave is used—currently only taken by 22% of fathers—fathers develop much greater caregiving skills, as they have to manage the household alone. This shifts the role away from that of helper, says Escobedo, "which doesn't transform family practices." She also points out that the socioeconomic context has begun to change. Traditionally, women opted for reduced working hours not only because they were burdened with caregiving responsibilities but also because they had lower-paying and often less stable jobs. Escobedo, however, observes that there are increasingly more couples in which the woman has a better job and higher pay, and this is why roles are changing.

Furthermore, the expert in comparative social structure and policy adds yet another element to the equation, one that is already part of some research studies: a more egalitarian involvement in childcare and housework fosters greater stability and satisfaction in relationships and, therefore, is associated with fewer breakups.

Resignations, the other side of the coin

“If you don’t have the same dedication, you don’t have the same opportunities,” says Pablo when asked about the sacrifices or effects of the reduction. However, he emphasizes that the reduction is practically only in hours, since he often ends up taking on the same workload as before. Mirko has also experienced this, but he is honest and believes that this is what women have always experienced: the same workload but with fewer hours and few opportunities for career advancement. “When you take a reduced schedule, your career is over,” he states emphatically.

"The women are delighted and give me their full support, and the men don't say a word," Mirko acknowledges. However, he believes there are still many prejudices. "While women are taking on new roles and have become liberated, men are stuck in an archaic work model," laments Mirko, who says that apart from himself, he doesn't know any other man who has taken this step to care for the children. Pablo hasn't seen his decision viewed with suspicion either. Working in the public sector, he's only received the occasional envious comment from older staff, such as "You're so lucky!" or "I only had three days off!" Nor has he felt that way among his friends. He says he lives in a "bubble" and, therefore, doesn't feel... rare elderly.