Man down: 12 million parents wouldn't hire a 'manny'

• Nearly 12 million (36 per cent) parents, or expecting parents, would never consider employing a man to care for their children 
• Two fifths of parents who would use childcare but would not consider employing a man, (41 per cent) say childcare is not a suitable career for a man
• Social experiment commissioned by insurer Direct Line found a male nanny applicant was less likely to be offered an interview than a female candidate and more likely to be asked to provide details of their criminal record background checks
   

Nearly 12 million parents in the UK (36 per cent) would not even consider hiring a male nanny to look after their children, reveals new research from Direct Line Home Insurance1. Despite celebrities such as Madonna, Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez all hiring male nannies, UK parents remain sceptical of hiring professional male caregivers.

Nearly three quarters (72 per cent) of parents who pay for professional childcare, and stated they wouldn’t hire a man, admit the reason they would not want to use a male nanny is because they would feel more comfortable with their children being cared for by a woman. Shockingly, half (51 per cent) wouldn’t hire a male nanny because they do not want a man left unsupervised in their home, suggesting that they see men as less trustworthy than women. Gender stereotypes are still very much in force, it would seem, as two fifths (41 per cent) do not think that childcare is a suitable career for a man.
 

Table one: Reasons given by UK parents who use childcare but would not employ a male nanny or would not re-employ a male nanny

Source: Direct Line Home Insurance 2017

Just one in seven parents (14 per cent) have employed a ‘manny’ in the past. Interestingly, it is men who are more likely to employ a ‘manny’ than women, with just over a fifth (21 per cent) of men having employed a ‘manny’ in the past compared to only eight per cent of women.

In a separate experiment2 commissioned by Direct Line Home Insurance, two identical CVs, where the gender of the applicant was the only difference, were used to apply for vacant nannying positions. Only 28 per cent of the male applicant’s submissions received an invitation to interview, compared to 48 per cent of the female applicant’s submissions, despite the qualifications and experience being identical. Furthermore, the male candidate was also asked for details of their criminal background check more frequently than their female counterpart, with 29 per cent of respondents requesting CRB or DBS details of the male nanny compared to just eight per cent of respondents to the female nanny.

Katie Lomas, home director at Direct Line, commented: “It is surprising to see that in our modern society we are still discriminating based on gender. Parents seeking a caregiver for their children should search for candidates who have the appropriate skills, experience and qualifications for their needs and their children’s needs. Men are increasingly interested in pursuing childcare as a career and as a society we should be accepting of the breakdown in gender stereotypes and embracing equality. 

“Whoever we invite into our homes to look after our children, it is important they have the appropriate insurance cover. We have seen some payroll companies used by parents employing a nanny attempting to sell them employer’s liability insurance cover unnecessarily, when in reality most home insurance policies will include this cover as standard. It is important for parents to check what their insurance covers them for before hiring a caregiver or other at-home help, or paying out for unnecessary cover.”

When looking on a regional basis Londoners buck the ‘no manny’ trend with over two thirds (69 per cent) of parents in the capital saying they would consider a ‘manny’, compared to just 46 per cent in the South West and 49 per cent in the East Midlands and South East.

Table two: Regional breakdown of parents who would consider using a male nanny

Source: Direct Line Home Insurance 2017

Lomas continued: “Parents should be looking for trustworthy candidates who have the correct skills to help look after their children. Rather than focusing on gender, they should be concentrating on those who will do the best job and that they can trust in their home. With many nannies now ‘living in’ it is important for all parents to feel comfortable with their selected caregiver and trust them with their children and home.”

- ENDS -

Notes to Editors

1 Research conducted by Opinium among 2,003 UK adults between 1stand 4th September 2017

2 Experiment consisted of two identical nanny CVs being submitted to a sample of 25 families each with one being under a male name and photo and the other under a female name and photo. Responses were collated and analysed between 16th and 25th August 2017. 
 

For further information please contact:

Claire Foster

Deputy head of news 

Direct Line Group

Tel: 01651 831 672

Email: claire.foster@directlinegroup.co.uk
 

Antonia Green

Citigate Dewe Rogerson

Antonia.green@citigatedr.co.uk

0207 282 2967
 

Direct Line

Started in 1985, Direct Line became the first UK insurance company to use the telephone as its main channel of communication. It provides motor, home, travel and pet insurance cover direct to customers by phone or on-line.

Direct Line general insurance policies are underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, Registered office: The Wharf, Neville Street, Leeds LS1 4AZ. Registered in England and Wales No 1179980. U K Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

Direct Line and UK Insurance limited are both part of Direct Line Insurance Group plc.

Customers can find out more about Direct Line products or get a quote by calling 0345 246 3761 or visiting www.directline.com/home-cover