This paper by Bernice Kuang, Brienna Perelli-Harris, and Ann Berrington (2025) examines how mothers and fathers divide childcare tasks that interfere with paid work and whether there is an association with patterns of work and access to work flexibility. They find that childcare tasks that interfere with the workday (i.e., staying home with ill children, getting children dressed, dropping children off at school or childcare) are particularly gendered. Fathers working from home or having access to flexible hours were associated with a higher likelihood of equally sharing these tasks; the same relationship was not found for mothers. The authors conclude that fathers' access to and use of flexible working may help to address one persistent form of gender inequality.
Kuang, B., B. Perelli-Harris, and A. Berrington. 2025. How Do Parents Share Childcare That Interferes With Paid Work? Work Arrangements, Flexible Working, and Childcare. Journal of Marriage and Family 87, no. 5: 1947–1962. https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.13112.
