They may be number one in their kidsB次元官网网址� hearts, but a recent study suggests when men become fathers, they can earn a raise without having to be the top performer in the office.

Researchers at the University of British Columbia analyzed data from Statistic CanadaB次元官网网址檚 latest workplace and employee survey and found that white men often receive a wage boost when they become fathers.

B次元官网网址淎lthough women typically experience a dip in earnings after becoming mothers, our study confirms the prevalence of the so-called B次元官网网址榙addy bonusB次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� the wage boost that men enjoy when they become fathers,B次元官网网址� lead researcher Sylvia Fuller said.

Employers are more likely to see fathers deserving of promotions and higher wages because of an unfair assumption that men are the breadwinners in their families, the study said, and therefore more likely to be hardworking and dependable.

B次元官网网址淥f course, that assumption isnB次元官网网址檛 always true,B次元官网网址� Fuller said.

Researchers focused on wage differences within workplaces as well, but had to limit their study to specifically white men because of wage gaps that exist among racial groups.

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The numbers suggest new fathers in professional or managerial roles enjoy the largest net wage boost within their workplace B次元官网网址� about seven per cent B次元官网网址� compared to a 3.6-per-cent wage boost offered to men in other occupations.

There was also a noticeable difference between B次元官网网址渉ighly educated menB次元官网网址� and those with less than a high school diploma. Men with university degrees often received a 5.3-per-cent net wage premium, compared to a 1.8-per-cent boost for other fathers.

In cases where jobs involved a collective bargaining agreement, or in companies with a human resources department, the fatherhood wage premium was significantly lower.

And in cases where work performance was more closely scrutinized for merit pay, researchers found that the fatherhood wage boost was reduced or even reversed.

B次元官网网址淭he overall story seems to be that, when thereB次元官网网址檚 more scrutiny and oversight of actual performance, the fatherhood advantage diminishes,B次元官网网址� Fuller said. B次元官网网址淭his suggests that itB次元官网网址檚 not so much that dads are necessarily working harder, but that employers think they are.B次元官网网址�

Fuller said the findings should be cause for concern, especially for employers.

B次元官网网址淚t is discrimination on the basis of family status,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淣ot everybody can or wants to have kids, but that shouldnB次元官网网址檛 affect wages. It is fundamentally unfair.B次元官网网址�

ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
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