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What 'type' is YOUR dad? VOTE!
Does he shower attention on you or does he forget you even exist? Tell us what kind of dad is your father. Tale this poll today!
With Father's Day around the corner, many of us are looking back on the relationship we've shared with our fathers. Some of us have had the fondest memories of our fathers while for others he was just another man in our lives.
Regus has recently come up with five profiles of today's working dads. Let's check which best describes your father and vote for the type.
Tell us what kind of a father you had!
9 to 5 Dad
Aka: 'I'm going to be late' Dad
Works: City centre
Lives: Suburbs
9 to 5 Dad's youngest child thinks his father's a train driver because he's always phoning from the train. He avoids long hours at the office, but still gets home late because he commutes 45 minutes each way -- on a good day.
By the time 9 to 5 Dad gets home, he's stressed and exhausted. However hard he tries to be back for bath time, he's invariably late or irritable.
Dislikes: Leaves on the line, signal failure, other passengers, the exorbitant price of his season ticket, commuting
Wishes: He could work closer to home and have more time for his family
NEXT: Travelling Dad
What 'type' is YOUR dad? VOTE!
Travelling Dad
Aka: 'I've lost the signal' Dad
Works: On the move
Lives: Near a motorway
Travelling Dad is always on the move between clients. He does much of his work in lay-bys, service stations and coffee shops, struggling to balance phone, laptop and papers on a tiny table or on his steering wheel.
Traffic congestion means he often misses the children's bedtime, and leaves home early in the morning -- certainly too early to do the school run, and frequently before the children are up.
Dislikes: Contra flows, road works, service station coffee prices
Wishes: He had somewhere decent to make calls and do admin. And that he could be better tempered at kids' bedtime.
NEXT: Invisible Dad
What 'type' is YOUR dad? VOTE!
Invisible Dad
Aka: 'Up in the Air' Dad
Works: All over the place
Lives: Near an airport
Invisible Dad's children see him on Skype more often than in the flesh. He dutifully brings back Toblerones from the airport and the latest techno-gadgets from the Far East. He also has 200,000 air miles, which pay for good long-haul holidays, and he gets great upgrades on car hire and hotels.
But he suspects his children would rather he was there for their birthdays or school plays.
Dislikes: Pretzels, air traffic controllers' strikes and slow airport security checks
Wishes: He spent less time in hotels
NEXT: Work-at-Home Dad
What 'type' is YOUR dad? VOTE!
Work-at-Home Dad
Aka: 'Solo-preneur' Dad
Works: In the spare room
Lives: Anywhere
Work-at-Home Dad and his family were delighted when he set up a business. They had visions of Dad combining hands-on parenting with the satisfaction of working for himself.
But he hadn't anticipated the annoying background noise of children's daytime TV, and he struggles with the lack of space, administrative back-up and networking opportunities.
Even though he's available to look after children, he's always distracted and glued to his mobile or another piece of technology.
Dislikes: CBeebies, IT helplines
Wishes: There was a way to combine the flexibility of being his own boss with a better working environment
NEXT: Super Dad
What 'type' is YOUR dad? VOTE!
Super Dad
Aka: 'Have-it-all' Dad
Works: Flexibly
Lives: Anywhere
Super Dad not only knows the name of his children's teachers, but also how he has helped on school trips. He takes the children to school three mornings a week, and usually manages not to check his Blackberry on the way.
Super Dad works some days in the office, and some at a local business centre. If there's a childcare emergency, he works at home. The arrangement suits him, his family and his employer.
Dislikes: The attitude that family-friendly working practices are only for women
Wishes: There were more dads to talk to in the school playground
The challenges of juggling parenthood and work mean that most working fathers (and mothers) are too tired to think. They get through the week, but they don't have the mental space to find better ways to manage things.
The first four fathers described above probably need to change the way they work -- not necessarily their jobs, just where and when they work. For example, does 9 to 5 Dad really need to spend 90 minutes each day commuting? Or could he achieve the same -- or more -- by doing some of his work at home, or at a workspace closer to home?
What 9 to 5 Dad needs is flexible working options. Recent research by workspace provider Regus found that over 80% of UK firms now offer flexible working to their staff.
Of these, 67% say it helps staff achieve a better work-life balance. As a result, staff are less stressed, more productive, and better employees and parents.
Travelling Dad, Invisible Dad and Work-at-Home Dad are already working flexibly and on the move, but they're still struggling. They too need new ways of working -- places where they can work more effectively, and ways to cut the travelling.
Again, there are relatively simple solutions. Invisible Dad could possibly replace some of his overseas meetings if he had access to videoconferencing facilities. Not only would he spend less time in the air, he would reduce his carbon footprint.
Travelling Dad would be more productive if he could touch down at professional workspaces, and Work-at-Home Dad would also be less stressed if he had access to such spaces -- at a price he could afford. Not only would be freed from the sound of CBeebies blaring in the background, he would cast a more professional image, feel less isolated, and have access to administrative support and somewhere to meet clients.
As well as being simple, the solutions are probably on their doorstep. Products like the Regus Businessworld membership programme offer on-demand access to workspace and business lounges at any of Regus's 1,100 business centres in 500 cities in 88 countries.
As well as being a way for people to work closer to home, solutions like BusinessWorld also suit professionals who work from home or on the road, or who travel frequently on business. Invisible Dad, Travelling Dad, Work-at-Home Dad and 9 to 5 Dad might all want to think about it -- or perhaps their families should just go ahead and arrange it for them. They'd all find their life a great deal easier.
As for Super Dad, he's probably a member already. The only thing he needs to work on is not appearing too smug about it all.
NEXT: VOTE for your dad 'type'
What 'type' is YOUR dad? VOTE!
So what is your father's 'type'? Tell us by taking the poll below!