MEN as well as women are increasingly likely to demand flexible working so they can fulfill family obligations, recruiters say.

The shift in working patterns during the pandemic has challenged the “stigma” attached to men requesting family-friendly arrangements, it is claimed.

Last month, the government proposed allowing all employees, from their first day at work, the chance to request flexible working.  

BBC research in September found 56 per cent of women thought working from home would help them progress at work because childcare would be less of an obstacle to full-time work.

However, Jaime Rana, senior recruitment consultant at Poole-based TeamJobs, said: “There is a much wider impact on families. The niche isn’t just for women, it’s men too. For a recent national account manager role, from talking to a male candidate they stipulated they wanted the role to work around family obligations. If the job spec didn’t incorporate this, they were not interested.”

Rob Bruce, senior recruitment consultant at the firm, said: “Flexible working has created balance. Why should there be any difference between me wanting to take my children to school and just be assumed it should be the role of my wife?

“For many fathers, it is something we want to do and the school drop-off and pick-up becomes a part of our day. I even look forward to it. I want to be a great father and husband as well as support my family.”

A report in June by Working Families found 40 per cent of working parents said caring responsibilities were being shared more equally than before, while 35 per cent said they intended to keep this up after the pandemic.

TeamJobs managing director Hannah Sills said: “The Working Families report highlights that social expectations have changed. Partners have become aware that they can have flexibility.

“For instance, before 2020, a male asking for flexible working arrangements almost had a certain stigma attached to it. People just didn’t ask. Employers then recognised that flexibility could work, more than they had ever done.”

Despite the shift in habits, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed earlier this year that women were much more likely than men to say they had personally home-schooled a child.

The highest rates of home working have been among those with professional occupations. The ONS also found jobs requiring higher qualifications and more experience were more likely to provide homeworking opportunities.