Working Conditions after Childbirth: Differences between Mothers and Fathers[Après la naissance d’un enfant, les conditions de travail diffèrent entre les pères et les mères]

Following the birth of a child, many parents are required to adjust their professional trajectories. These adjustments display marked gender differences. Mothers of very young children are more likely than fathers to reduce their working hours, thereby reinforcing the wage gap to their disadvantage. They also tend to change jobs less frequently, which may restrict their opportunities for career advancement. In addition, a larger share of mothers report lacking sufficient time to perform their work adequately. Fathers, by contrast, are more likely to increase their working hours after the arrival of a child. They are also more frequently engaged in evening or Sunday work, and more often report exposure to stressful situations in which their scope for individual discretion proves insufficient to cope with the demands they face in their jobs.