Make like a duck this fathers day!

The animal kingdom sets a good example when it comes to raising a family and getting that work-life balance just right. And it could be useful food for thought this Fatherís Day. Male Black-bellied Whistling ducks take their role as father very seriously by sharing parenting responsibilities with the female right from incubation. In the human world, famous fathers David Beckham, Freddie Flintoff and Chris Martin are great examples of devoted dads. However, the Department of Trade and Industry reveals that those working the longest hours in the UK are men aged 30 ñ 49 with children and employed in the private sector.

FirstAssist, the health and wellbeing specialist, therefore believes that Fatherís Day is the perfect time for Dads to look at their work-life balance and make permanent changes to ensure they have quality family time all year round.

ìAll Fathers should regularly evaluate different aspects of their life, because priorities changeî, explains, Dr Les Smith, Group Medical Director for FirstAssist. ìWith so many pressures from home and work itís easy for Fathers to feel there just arenít enough hours in the day.

ìIt may surprise some to hear that since 1998, the average working week has fallen by over an hour to an average of 37 hours. A century ago people worked 50 hours a week*, however, today people feel they are working harder than ever. This is because we live in a 24 hour society and technology means people are continuously available, which leads to an overlap between work and home.

ìThis Fatherís Day, Dads should identify any problems they are experiencing in balancing work and home demands, and make sure they are satisfied at work, feel valued and rewarded so that they can give themselves quality time at home. The ultimate goal is to be happy at work and loved at home.

ìI advise everyone to spend 32 hours per week on free time, including hobbies, time with family and seeing friends. Our feathered friends, the black-bellied whistling ducks, have the right idea when it comes to parenting and Fatherís Day offers dads everywhere the perfect opportunity to follow their lead by making time for parenting and creating a good work-life balance.î

Tips for an improved work-life balance

1. Book an appointment with your partner to spend some quality time together.

2. Linger longer at the dinner table and make time to family talk.

3. Take your watch off on a Sunday - forget about the time.

4. When you arrive home from work - change into casual clothes straight away so you are still not dressed like a worker.

5. When you leave work gradually switch-off during the journey home and on arrival, open the door and change into the father role straight away - learn to separate work and home.

*Source Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development May 2006