Once an “Ideal Worker,” Always an “Ideal Worker”: The Impervious Status of Police Who Become Fathers

ABSTRACT Research chronicles the ways in which women police who are mothers are seen as being unfit for police work and promotional opportunities, as they navigate the male‐centric workplace and carry the bulk of domestic labor and childcare responsibilities at home. What has not been adequately addressed is whether, how, and to what extent police men who become fathers (“police fathers”) are seen as (un)fit for police work. We conducted 18 semi‐structured interviews with Canadian police fathers to examine how their experiences “fit” with the construct of the “ideal worker,” as fatherhood was announced and navigated at work. In our analysis, we compare our findings with research on the experiences of police mothers during similar stages of motherhood. Our findings demonstrate that in policing organizations, being a father is more flexible and negotiable in nature than being a mother. Even when they take parental leave—and potentially threaten “ideal worker” expectations—police fathers can carry out their roles as fathers in ways that maintain their connection to their service and ensure a continued “fit” with the “ideal worker” norm.