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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 11, No. 3

Publication Date: March 25, 2024

DOI:10.14738/assrj.113.16619.

Bendtsen, M., Buchko, A. A., & Buchko, K. J. (2024). Childfree In the Workplace: Demographics, Stigmas, and Implications. Advances

in Social Sciences Research Journal, 11(3). 60-75.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

Childfree In the Workplace: Demographics, Stigmas, and

Implications

Meghan Bendtsen

Foster College of Business, Bradley University, Peoria, IL, USA

Aaron A. Buchko

Foster College of Business, Bradley University, Peoria, IL, USA

Kathleen J. Buchko

Grand Canton University, Phoenix, Arizona, USA

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper is to explore one particular phenomenon that can be

associated with the millennial generation, and that is the increasing number of

childfree employees in the workplace. We examine the demographic data on

childlessness in the workplace and the literature on issues and perceptions of

childlessness and childfree individuals. Research has demonstrated various social

stigmas associated with childfree; among these are perceptions that the childfree

are more immature, selfish, autonomous, and less desirable to be around. The social

stigma attached to the choice to remain childfree has certainly impacted the extent

to which firms have sought to address these issues, and researchers have also

tended to avoid conducting significant empirical and qualitative work in this

domain. There is a very real need for high quality research efforts focused on

understanding the issues raised by childfree workers in the structure of

contemporary organizations, along with work needed to identify innovative ways

organizations can adapt to the new reality of childfree employees. For managers,

there is a clear need to think carefully about the implications of childfree workers

in the workplace. Managers should be encouraged to engage in honest discussions

with employees about disparities in familial status, and to work with teams to

encourage greater acceptance of the diversity that comes from these differences.

The trend toward childfree individuals in the workplace is likely to continue, with

the result that managers will need to address the issues raised in this analysis.

Keywords: Millennials, Voluntarily Childfree, Stigmas, Workplace Effects.

INTRODUCTION

In 2015, the U.S. workforce crossed a threshold: for the first time, millennials – those born

between 1982 and 2000 – became the single largest generational cohort in the workplace [59].

According to the Pew Research Center, there are over 55 million millennials in the workforce,

which exceeds Generation X (those born between the mid 1960s and the early 1980s) and baby

boomers (those born between 1946 and the mid-1960s) [45]. Compared to previous

generations, millennials are now more than one third of the current labor force [17].

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Bendtsen, M., Buchko, A. A., & Buchko, K. J. (2024). Childfree In the Workplace: Demographics, Stigmas, and Implications. Advances in Social

Sciences Research Journal, 11(3). 60-75.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.113.16619

Several authors have noted the possible impacts of millennials on organizations and

management [20] [28] [59]. Frequently such analyses examine the values, attitudes, and beliefs

of the millennial generation and how these may differ from previous generations; the authors

then go on to explore how these differences might affect managerial practice. This is certainly

valuable work as it provides insights into how managers should deal with the different needs,

wants, and expectations of the millennial cohort. With this new generation comes changes in

needs and desires, and the burden of fulfilling those needs has been placed upon the employer.

When these needs are not met, millennials have demonstrated that they will not hesitate to

leave their company behind in search of another manager or organization who will take their

desires seriously [42] [46].

To better address the implications these changes will have for organizations, it is important to

understand the motivations and concerns of the millennial generation. The desires and

expectations of millennials will obviously differ among individuals, but there are many

commonalities. With many human resource practices in need of modification because of the

changing demographic landscape, companies are going to have to revise the approach to several

aspects of employee relations policies and programs. Millennials’ needs and desires are distinct

and cannot be ignored. To do so could create difficulties and challenges for many organizations.

If firms choose to overlook the millennial generation’s expectations, companies are going to find

it difficult to retain the best millennial employees [38]. Without the best possible workers for

the job, firm performance will undoubtedly suffer.

It is therefore likely that companies are going to have to change their outlook on both hiring

practices and employee benefits in the foreseeable future. The purpose of this paper is to

explore one particular phenomenon that can be associated with the millennial generation, and

that is the increasing number of childfree employees in the workplace. Demographic data will

show that millennials, more than any other generation in recent history, are increasingly

choosing to be childfree by choice. This will result in greater numbers of childfree employees in

the workplace. As will be discussed, the issues associated with the childfree can differ from

workers with children. Our intent is to investigate and offer suggestions to remediate the issues

this presents.

We will begin by examining the demographic data on childlessness in the workplace. Following

this we review the extant literature on issues and perceptions of childlessness and childfree

individuals. Note that, consistent with current practice, we use the term “childfree” to indicate

those persons who have voluntarily chosen to forego having children and parenting, as

contrasted with “childless” which can refer to those who are not able to have children due to

involuntary factors (Agrillo & Nelini, 2008). We will then use this knowledge base to examine

the potential impacts of these issues on the workplace. We will conclude by offering some

suggestions for future directions for research and managerial practice with childfree

individuals in organizations.

THE DEMOGRAPHICS

Now perhaps more than ever before, young adults are actively choosing to delay having children,

or to not have children at all. According to the Urban Institute, after 2007 birth rates declined

more than 15 percent amongst people born between 1980 and 1995, also known as the

millennial generation [3]. As noted, these (often childfree) individuals are now entering the

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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 11, Issue 3, March-2024

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

workplace in large numbers. With this increase of childfree employees into the workforce,

managers are seeing shifts in workplace dynamics. For example, 37% of companies in the

United States currently offer paid parental leave [46]. Programs like this are not relevant to

millennials who have made a choice to remain childfree, and such benefits are of little value to

these individuals.

According to the Pew Research Center, highly educated women are deciding to have children

later in life. The more education a woman has (up to a bachelor’s degree), the less likely she is

to become a parent [36]. In a Gallup Poll taken in 2013, Americans were asked what they

perceived as the ideal number of children to have. The answer was 2.6 children, with 48% of

participants stating that they thought 2 children represented a superlative family [54]. This may

not seem significant, but it is the lowest estimate since the survey’s inception in 1930 [54].

Voluntary childlessness varies among racial and ethnic groups as well. 17% of Caucasian

women aged 40 to 44 are childfree, the highest of any racial group [36]. Hispanic women are

on the other end of the scale with only 10% remaining childfree into their early 40s [36].

The millennial generation is seeing declines in parenthood on an even larger scale. Nearly half

of women aged 25 to 29 were childless in 2014, the highest percentage since the Census Bureau

began tracking the data in 1976 [37]. In 2013, the National Center for Health Statistics recorded

only 62.9 births per 1,000 women between the ages of 15 to 44 [35]. The total fertility rate in

the previous year fell to an all-time low of 1.86%, meaning couples were not producing enough

children to replace them after their death [35]. Demographers have seen this rate steadily fall

since the recession of 2007, when it was at 2.1% [35]. In 2016, fertility rates among millennials

in the U.S. were driving overall rates to record lows; and this decline in birth rates can be

observed across not only the U.S. and western Europe, but in countries such as India, Mexico,

and Australia as well [48].

There are several theories as to why millennials feel the need to delay their plans of parenthood.

Since the United States recession in 2007, young adults have reported feeling less financially

secure than their parent’s generations [3]. Many people are choosing to wait until later in life,

when they feel, they are better equipped to care for a child. Experiencing lower birthrates in

times of economic downturn is not a new phenomenon, however. So why does America’s young

workforce feel less need than ever to start a family? The answers are likely due to a combination

of reasons.

Women have more access to education, healthcare, and contraception than ever before. A study

done at York University examined three types of undergraduate women: those who wanted to

delay having children until their educational or career goals were met; those who were not

waiting to fulfill educational or career goals before starting a family; and those who reported

that they did not want to have children at all [22]. Those who reported that they were delaying

motherhood said that their psychological fulfillment was less dependent on motherhood and

more dependent on achieving what they perceived to be more important goals. This study

helped reveal that the rejection or endorsement of parenthood was a function of changes in

these women’s personality, rather than an inherent need. Women were now ascribing traits that

were traditionally thought to be “masculine” traits, such as independence and ambition, to

themselves when it came to planning their career goals [22]. This study also indicated that