Moving Fathers: Workplace Interventions for Paternal Involvement in Childcare

Mari Tanaka, Hiroko Okudaira, Mariko Sakka and Shintaro Yamaguchi

No 26248, RFBerlin Discussion Paper Series from ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin (RFBerlin)

Abstract: We test whether employers can shift household allocation by targeting men as fathers. Among 1,225 male employees in four Japanese organizations, we randomized a two-hour work-life balance training and an information treatment correcting misperceptions of colleagues' support. Training increased fathers' weekend childcare by about one hour per day in young-child households and raised spouses' reported paid work; spouses' housework also fell. Training strengthened beliefs that paternity leave benefits workplace functioning but not leave intentions. Information modestly shifted perceived support but affected neither intentions nor information-seeking. Employer training can affect household allocation without changing formal rights or work arrangements.

Keywords: workplace intervention; paternity leave; household time allocation; second-order beliefs; field experiment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J13 J16 J22 M54 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-09
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