Dads Who Get It Done

It’s not easy being a working mom, but one thing makes it easier: a supportive spouse. The good news is dads are seriously stepping up their game at home. “Compared with dads in two-job families with preschool kids three decades back, dads today are doing twice as much of the second shift—only five hours a week less than moms,” says Arlie Hochschild, author of The Second Shift and The Time Bind. Research published by the Council on Contemporary Families found that dads are doing more housework and childcare during the pandemic, and sociologists are hopeful some of those habits might stick. That’s huge because domestic burdens are a big reason why women quit working or scale back their ambitions.

In short, moms can’t be their best at work unless dads do their fair share at home. Thankfully, more and more companies get it. The Best Companies for Dads support hardworking fathers with policies that encourage dads to take paternity leave, work flexible schedules and hire backup childcare. In turn, those dads help their spouses climb the career ladder.