Work and Childcare among Traditional, Equal-Sharing, and Role-Reversed Couples

Although societal transformations of the division of paid work and childcare have been observed over recent decades, the arrangements of most couples still reflect traditional gendered norms, with mothers as primary caregivers and fathers as main breadwinners. This persistent gender gap disadvantages men and women, preventing them from organising work and childcare in a way that best suits their family, regardless of gender. This study explored how couples in three parenting arrangements - equal-sharers, role-reversed and traditional - divide paid work and childcare, and the economic and structural factors that facilitate a less gendered division of roles. A sample of 2,813 British parents with children aged 11 or younger completed extensive questionnaires. Our findings suggest that role-reversed couples tend to share housework and childcare slightly more equally than traditional couples. While mothers in traditional arrangements performed almost all the tasks by themselves, fathers who were the main caregivers had more involved partners. Both fathers and mothers who shared equally worked shorter hours than main breadwinners and spent more time with their children as sole caregivers. The duration of parental leave taken after the birth of a child was relatively unaffected by family role and largely determined by gender. Since the birth of the youngest child, breadwinning and equal-sharing fathers used work-from-home and flexible hours less than breadwinners and equal-sharing mothers, while caregiving mothers and fathers were similarly likely to use these schemes. Overall, our findings highlight the factors that facilitate sharing breadwinning and caring responsibilities equally.