Recent return-to-office mandates risk work flexibility, forcing employees—especially men who return faster—to prioritise career over family goals. This study explores the impact of working from home (WFH) on fertility. Using five waves of the UK Household Longitudinal Survey (2010–2020), we examine how dual-earner couples’ WFH access and use relate to fertility and how this varies with commuting burdens. Findings show that WFH access alone is not associated with an increased likelihood of childbirth, but WFH use is for both first and second births, particularly when only the male partner uses it. Female partners’ WFH use is insignificantly associated with fertility potentially due to increased work-family conflicts that counterbalance the benefits of WFH. Furthermore, we found that fathers’ WFH use alone is more strongly associated with second-birth probabilities when mothers face longer commutes, highlighting its role in compensating the time and energy strains of mothers’ longer commuting. The study highlights the transformative potential of men’s WFH use to reshape traditional family roles, paving the way for broader societal and policy changes to promote work-life balance and family well-being.

Co-authors

Professor Heejung Chung, King’s College London;

Dr Robert de Vries, University of Kent