Nonstandard Work Schedules and Father Involvement Among Nonresident and Resident Fathers

Due to large increases in rates of marital dissolution and nonmarital births in recent decades, many children today grow up living away from their biological father. Prior research finds that employed nonresident fathers and those with higher earnings tend to be more highly involved with their children. Yet, the timing of work may also influence their involvement. This study tests the hypothesis that fathers’ nonstandard work schedules are related to three dimensions of involvement — father’s accessibility to, engagement with, and responsibility for his child — and examine differences in these relationships between nonresident and resident fathers. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study and OLS regression models with rich controls, we find that among nonresident fathers, working an evening shift or a weekend shift were each associated with lower levels of involvement with their three-year-old children. For resident fathers only, we found no associations between work schedules and involvement.