I work in an environment which has historically not been very supportive of flexible working, to put it mildly, and still isn't compared to, eg, public sector. Things are changing - slowly -- but its still very much about presenteeism and being seen to be available.
I notice that blokes are increasingly happy for it to be known that they are, for example, working from home due to half term/bringing kids to the office and get plaudits for doing so (rightly). But there still seems to be a view that if a woman does it its a subliminal example of why women can't be trusted to be available in high-octane jobs.
I was given advice by a (female) boss in a previous white collar job that it was fine to be a working mum and everyone understood that there were circumstances where I couldn't be in the office but that it was something not to be discussed in the office, as if it were a dirty secret. So for example if I had to leave early for some reason dictated by childcare I was told it was fine as long as I didn't discuss the reasons publicly.
Nowadays it seems to be something which men actively get brownie points for: no fewer than three blokes in my office have brought their kids in in the past fortnight due to not having childcare sorted and this is somehow seen as evidence that they are "pulling their weight". I have yet to see a woman do this.
On the one hand I guess its to be celebrated that men no longer feel that childcare is something to be ashamed of and that they are happy for their colleagues and clients to know they do it.
On the other hand I still feel that there's an unwritten rule that says if a man does it he's progressive and laudably hands-on, if a woman does it she's flaky and unreliable.
Is this just ill-directed feminist rage or has anyone else noticed it?