Interview with David Juncke: Partnership in the family

More and more parents want to share work and family life equally. While mothers are returning to the labor market more quickly, fathers want to take on a more active role in parenting. What progress has been made in terms of reconciliation and where is there still a problem? In an interview with Dr. David Juncke, family policy expert at Prognos AG, we talk about current developments, challenges and ways to achieve a fair division of family work.

Familienportal.NRW: From birth, many parents want an equal work-life balance in order to reconcile work and family life. Mr Juncke, what is the situation regarding partnership in families?

Much has developed positively in recent years in terms of fathers' ideas about their own role in the family and the division of work organized as a partnership. Family-related benefits such as parental allowance and parental leave allow fathers to reduce their working hours and spend more time with their children - a benefit for their children's development. Childcare places for children under the age of three have been significantly expanded in recent years - as has childcare provision in open all-day schools (OGS). This makes it easier for mothers to work. Women have thus caught up significantly in the labor market. This positive development not only strengthens the economic security of families in the long term, but also promotes cooperation in an equal partnership.

The figures also confirm that fathers today want to be more present and take on an active role in parenting: Fathers in North Rhine-Westphalia take an average of four months of parental leave - putting them slightly above the nationwide comparison.

With regard to parental leave, we see a success story. It is encouraging that more and more fathers are taking parental leave. The ideas of fathers and their own role models have changed significantly in terms of a fair division of family responsibilities. This clearly shows a change in society. Nevertheless, mothers still predominantly take on the majority of family work - be it childcare, household chores or the emotional responsibility associated with organizing tasks. However, fathers must take on an even more active role if they are to be more involved as partners. Their involvement is essential.

While the attitude of fathers has changed, there is clearly a gap between desire and reality. Do fathers fear professional disadvantages if they take parental leave?

The majority of fathers do not have negative experiences. In fact, in our representative survey, six out of ten fathers stated that they did not experience any negative reactions in their professional environment when taking parental leave. However, there are still hurdles. 15 percent of fathers reported that parental leave had had a negative impact on their career. They encounter challenges, especially if they have management responsibility or if their parental leave extends beyond two months. However, the world of work is changing rapidly and companies are increasingly recognizing the value of a family-friendly HR policy in times of a growing shortage of skilled workers. Active fathers today have strong arguments when it comes to demanding more compatibility.

What tips can you give fathers who want to negotiate an equal division of parental leave and working hours with their employer?

Fathers are in a very advantageous negotiating position in view of the growing shortage of skilled workers. Our surveys show that a high proportion of fathers are prepared to change jobs if the corporate culture does not take family-friendliness into account. Flexibility in working hours, support for parents and an open attitude towards parental leave - all of these are becoming increasingly important. On the other hand, employers must expect an increased willingness to change jobs if they ignore fathers' wishes for a better work-life balance. This sends a clear signal to the economy. Employers must recognize that family-friendly structures are crucial for employee retention.

On the other hand, fathers can confidently argue that they are a real asset to their company. If it is possible to better combine work and family life, companies benefit from increased satisfaction, greater loyalty to the employer and higher productivity. And finally, family-friendliness in the company does not have to cost a lot of money. Often, even small adjustments can make a big difference, you just need to have the will.

A good piece of advice I would like to give fathers at this point is to talk to their own manager at an early stage. The more openly and clearly the plans for parental leave and the need for further support in balancing work and family life are communicated, the greater the willingness and acceptance within the company. However, such discussions should always be characterized by mutual give and take.

How can we encourage even more fathers to take longer parental leave and share family work as partners?

Fathers often lack the environment that shows them: "Yes, it's possible! I can and can take longer parental leave." Role models play a very important role here. When fathers talk openly about their experiences in companies or among friends, it encourages other fathers. Managers in particular, who actively combine family and career, can set an important example here. If a manager schedules an afternoon off to spend time with his daughter or if the plant manager personally takes his son to daycare in the morning, this shows all employees: Work-life balance is also an issue for fathers and is possible at our company!

Companies are also in demand. There are already many family-friendly programs, both in large and small and medium-sized companies. However, it is often primarily mothers who feel addressed. Sometimes the wording fails. Fathers are not specifically addressed. However, fathers need special work-life balance offers and a different personal approach so that they feel they are being addressed. Let me give you a good example: Men generally work full-time, they can hardly identify with the term "part-time work". However, a project at a large German company shows how the approach can be more successful: When managers were offered "flextime", the demand from fathers was surprisingly high, even though it was nothing more than a flexibilized part-time offer.

In order for families to make the best possible use of parental allowance, we also need to rethink the amount and distribution of parental allowance months. The impact on everyday family life is far greater when fathers spend exclusive time alone with their child. If fathers experience what childcare means in everyday life, then it will be all the easier to achieve equality in the course of the partnership.

After all, a better work-life balance pays off in many ways: It makes the decision to start a family easier and spreads the financial responsibility over two shoulders. The labor market also benefits when more mothers are employed. However, all of this is only possible if fathers are prepared to become even more involved. Sometimes all it takes is a little push - which can also come from mothers.

Mr. Juncke, thank you very much for the interview!

(The interview was conducted in 2025.)