Having a child is a good way to get ahead at work as a man. This is according to research from the Trades Union Congress (TUC).
The study suggests fathers in full-time work earn 21{06aeb1921e0b802d2bd9c766bc98fb11cc6a46c2b0593ed9c88a0e29cf417a34} more than their childless counterparts. That ‘wage bonus’ however, falls to 9{06aeb1921e0b802d2bd9c766bc98fb11cc6a46c2b0593ed9c88a0e29cf417a34} if they have two children.
There is a “stark contrast” for full-time working mothers, who earn 7{06aeb1921e0b802d2bd9c766bc98fb11cc6a46c2b0593ed9c88a0e29cf417a34} less than women who do not have children.
The TUC likened it to a “motherhood penalty”, as it says mothers suffer from lost experience and workplace discrimination. Mothers are also more likely to work part-time, earning less, than fathers in work.
The “wage penalty” only strikes women who became mothers before they reached 33. Women who had their first child after reaching 33 earn 12{06aeb1921e0b802d2bd9c766bc98fb11cc6a46c2b0593ed9c88a0e29cf417a34} more than similar women without children.
The pay gap exists for those without children too. Childless women earn 12{06aeb1921e0b802d2bd9c766bc98fb11cc6a46c2b0593ed9c88a0e29cf417a34} less than childless men in similar jobs, according to the survey.
The report goes on to say the reason for the fatherhood bonus is not clear It does suggest though that “it is likely to relate to hours worked, increased effort and positive discrimination.”
Fathers who work tend to work longer hours after having children and mothers are likely to work shorter hours.
TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “It says much about current attitudes that men with children are seen as more committed by employers, while mothers are still often treated as liabilities.”
The study cited findings by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) that showed 77{06aeb1921e0b802d2bd9c766bc98fb11cc6a46c2b0593ed9c88a0e29cf417a34} of pregnant women and new mothers had experienced discrimination in the workplace.
A quarter of employers, the survey found, said it was reasonable to ask women about their plans to have children, despite it being illegal to discriminate on the basis of that information when hiring.
The survey analysed the pay of 17,000 42-year-olds in full-time work.
Source: Sky news