Working single fathers - Essay Example

?Running head: Working Single Fathers: Financial and Professional Growth Issues for single Fathers here December 06, Working Single Fathers: Financial and Professional Growth Issues for single Fathers Introduction The single-mother families being so widely-spread in the modern society, the number of single-father families is also growing rapidly. No matter what specific reason caused single-parenting, a lot of issues in the single parent families are often best met by couples with healthy partnerships and the support of their extended families. And sometimes that's just not possible (Carruthers, 2008). This brings out the need of conducting thorough research to find out the specific challenges of single parents. The 2010 U.S. Census reported that 15 percent of single parents were men. This segment of the population is expected to grow as more men become custodial parents to their children (McDonald, 2001). Single-Fathers face a lot of difficulties not only in the process of upbringing, but also in their workplaces. This paper is going to reveal what are single working fathers' experiences with raises, promotions and working environment and how they differ from fathers in two-parent families. Being a single parent is a very complicated task for people of both genders. However, the shift in social roles for men is a barrier in the psychological and social level. But single fathers can manage the demands of work and family by recognizing the barriers to successful parenting and taking action (McDonald, 2001). Single fathers face a lot of stress at work either, so this study is going to center on the working atmosphere for single parents, their stresses and the way being a single parent relates to the professional growth and promotion. Financial and Professional Growth Issues for single Fathers Single Parents are often subject to stress in the working environment. This can be caused by the inferiority they face because of being incompetent to take full care of the child. (Yarber & Sharp, 2010) The stress in the family can easily be reflected in the working environment. Unwritten rules about worker loyalty and commitment often influence men’s decisions about their commitment to parenting responsibilities. As single fathers attempt to adjust their lives to meet the often conflicting demands of work and family, they may encounter inflexible work regulations or supervisors who are unsympathetic to their needs (McDonald, 2001). The scheduling issues can create tension in the working environment and make it more complicated to reach an agreement. This can deepen the inner stress and conflict. Another issue that makes it more complicated to have the right scheduling is the men’s unwillingness to seem vulnerable in front of their managers. Men perceive this as being exposed to danger on behalf of the boss/manager. Single parents have many challenges in their working environment, including finding the financial resources to support the child/children. It is especially hard for parents who have part-time jobs or get State Assistance. In this aspect, single parenting is often more stressful than couple parenting (Carruthers, 2008). What stops single fathers and draws them back from achieving their goals? Sometimes single fathers are not well acknowledged how to deal with financial and stress challenges. One of the main problems in the working environment for single parents is learning to postpone goals (Lone-Parent Families, 1990). The common issue is- it is very hard for a single father to get used to the fact that taking care of the child can make him spend less time on work and thus, it can put aside many chances of quick promotion and rise. In a family with both parents, the main responsibility for upbringing lies on the shoulders of women, and men are generally more of bread-winners and careerists. This slowing makes a lot of men undergo stress at the workplace, when slow promotion is coupled with the incompetence they face as single parents. While men from full families can be extremely career-oriented, this task is much more difficult for single parents. Single parents want to take advantage of economic and social benefits of working; 57 per cent of all single parents work and 54 per cent of single fathers with five and six year olds are already in paid employment (Newis, 2012). Most single parents have to shift to part-time jobs for successfully completing their duties as parents. This, in fact, strengthens the slowing of the promotion and rise process for a lengthy period of time. Finding a family-friendly job is another issue which makes the working process more complicated. The option of affording a stressed job in a 2-hours-drive from the house isn’t a good one for a single father. A lot of single fathers are bound to change their job for being able to spend more time with the child. Sometimes this can be extremely difficult as they have to get into a new working environment, start the entire journey on the career ladder anew (Single Parenting and Today’s family, 2011). Becoming a single father can affect the employee in both a positive and a negative way. First, and foremost, being a single parent can make the man work better due to the fact that the man feels responsibility not only for himself, but for the child himself. This reduces instances of job swapping and job hopping. Single parenting men are often dedicated to their workplace. The fact that they are not willing to lose their job makes them be more dedicated and responsible. Single fathers can become more tolerant to working issues and more persistent in their goals for the sake of their families. This enthusiasm is often interpreted as a rise in dedication to the workplace and is rewarded with salary increases and promotions (Yarber & Sharp, 2010). This can , however, only be achieved in case the single parent is stable, self-confident and open. Being a single father, on the other hand, can have a negative effect on the man. Very often single fathers are afraid to lose their job- often the source of the only financial income for the family. (Lone-Parent Families, 1990) This situation makes men stressed and decreases their working success. Being stressed all the time results in working slower and more flaws in the working process. If the manager of the single father can’t understand these issues, the situation can possibly become even worse. Single men’s vulnerability and fear, thus, can become a serious drawback. This is especially true of middle-aged parents. The bank of new, energetic employees who are ready to work for less payment is generally growing and the middle-aged single parents augment the fear of losing their job to a new professional with a more flexible schedule (Gillman, 2003). The national survey of almost 800 workers conducted by the suicide prevention group R U OK found that the highest risk group for extreme stress at work was middle-age single parents (Newis, 2012). Single fathers largely face the same problems as single mothers. However, their financial situation is usually more durable. One study of single fathers found that many of them took an active part in the education and upbringing of their children before the divorce (Gillman, 2003). Most single fathers maintain a close emotional contact with their children, give a lot of energy and money taking care of them if they cannot meet their needs or spend enough time with them, this causes them go into inferiority and decreases their social interaction and relations. The single father can become preserved and introverted which can also play a role in decreased working promotions (McDonald, 2001). Parental experience that men gain during the time in a full family does not always prepare them for the difficulties they encounter when they have to work and at the same time to raise children. Many single fathers experience the same feelings of loneliness and depression as single mothers. Single fathers, as well as single mothers find it difficult to keep the circle of friends and get a different emotional support. The stress of the single fathers varies greatly from those parenting men from full families meet, because the coping mechanism in their case is much more limited. Single fathers do not gain the necessary support from their spouses which married men get. The feeling of being on their own with the problem, and the growing fear of losing the job and being unable to support a child results in higher stress rate. (Burke, 2009) Conclusion Having investigated all this information, it becomes clear that single fathers face a lot of challenges in the working environment. Being a single father can greatly affect the man’s promotional and salary increasing capacity – both in a positive and a negative way. Being a single parent can have a positive effect on the work in case of low stress and high self-confidence. In instances of higher stress-rate, however, the fear of losing a job, being unable to support the child financially and the fear of competition for the working place can make the men more vulnerable to failures and decrease of promotion and salary rise rates. References Burke, Kelly, 2009, Middle-age single parents at highest risk of work stress, http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/middleage-single-parents-at-highest-risk-of-work-stress-20110808-1ij8b.html. Carruthers, Martyn, 2008, Coaching for Single Parents, http://www.systemiccoaching.com/single_parents.htm. Gillman, Sally, 2003, The Experiences of Employment in Single-Parent families, University of Illinois at Urban –Champaign, pp. 3-12. Lone-Parent Families, 1990, The Economic Challenge, , OECD, pp 6-9. McDonald, Dan, 2001, Single Custodial Fathers and Single Fathering, Boston College, pp 2-4. Newis, Philippa, 2012, Pressure is mounting on single parents to find work and move off benefits – but the government’s reforms will do very little to help, http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/2012/05/30/single-parents-employment-newis/. Single Parenting and Today’s family, 2011, American Psychological Association, http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/single-parent.aspx. Yarber, Annice & Sharp, Paul, 2010, Focus on Single Parent Families, Past, Present and Future, Greenwood Publishing Group, pp. 15-19. Read More