Fathers should work less, minister says

Fathers should demand flexible working hours after their children are born and  mothers and fathers should both expect to spend equal amounts of time working and raising children, Miss Harman said.

Her call for fathers to work less comes amid growing pressure from ministers on mothers of young children to take jobs. The Government says the only way for couples to ensure their family stays out of poverty is for both parents to work.

Miss Harman said: "It must be the cultural norm for both mothers and fathers to work flexibly, so they can balance earning a living while bringing up their children.

"Fathers play a vital role in bringing their children up and most want to make more time for them. And children need their dads - whether they live with them or not.

"But most fathers simply don't know or take advantage of their rights. Many men find it difficult to ask their employer to work flexibly, and we need to challenge this."

Miss Harman's remarks came as a Government-funded organisation aimed at encouraging parents to spend equal time at work and at home was relaunched.

The Fatherhood Institute was previously known as Fathers' Direct and called itself "the national information centre on fatherhood".

It now aims to "support both mothers and fathers as earners and carers and prepare boys and girls for a future shared role in caring for children".