Ugrás a tartalomra
family_in_a_park_-_work-life_balance.jpg

Work-life balance

Work–life balance refers to the level of prioritisation between an individual’s work and personal life. A good work–life balance is achieved when an individual’s right to a fulfilled life inside and outside paid work is accepted and respected as the norm – to the mutual benefit of the individual, business and society. Enabling a better work–life balance for workers across the life course has been an EU policy goal for many years as it is central to ensuring that work is sustainable for all.

Topic

Recent updates

ef24014.png

Work–life balance: Policy developments

In recent years, work–life balance has become a central theme in labour policies across Europe. While EU Member States have adopted different approaches, the common aim is to promote a...

Article
eurofound-talks-20-rtd.png

In this episode of Eurofound Talks Mary McCaughey speaks with Eurofound Research Manager Tina Weber about new research on the right to disconnect, the evolution of the right to disconnect...

Podcast

Eurofound research

Work–life balance continues to be a significant research topic for Eurofound, in its surveys and other studies.

Podcast

Listen to or watch a recording of our International Women's Day 2023 podcast on the work–life challenges of women and men. 

Survey data on work–life balance issues

Eurofound’s European Quality of Life Surveys (EQLS) provide comparisons between countries on the reconciliation of work and family life, flexible working time arrangements and the provision of quality care services. The European Company Surveys (ECS) provide data on why and how companies make use of a broad variety of working time arrangements. The European Working Conditions Surveys (EWCS) look at the organisation of working time across the EU and issues related to it including flexible arrangements, working time preferences and work–life balance.

COVID-19 and work–life balance

Eurofound’s unique e-survey, Living, working and COVID-19, provides a snapshot of the impact of the changes that occurred during the pandemic on people’s lives, with the aim of helping policymakers shape the response to the crisis. Conducted in five rounds during 2020, 2021 and 2022, it allows for comparison of the challenges that arose during the different stages of living through the pandemic. A range of questions focus on people’s work situation, their level of teleworking during COVID-19, experiences of working from home and the impact on work–life balance. 

The latest findings, published in July 2022 show that despite some improvement in work–life balance issues, there has been a sharp decline in family time among workers in 2022, with almost 30% reporting that their job is preventing them from spending time with their family, from a much lower 19% in 2020. 

Working life and work–life balance

Eurofound gathers information on working life in the EU, looking at national and EU-level policies to promote work–life balance and investigating the role of social dialogue and collective bargaining in this area.

Research investigates the opportunities for working time flexibility and improved work–life balance related to digitisation and platform work, linked with the labour market integration of specific groups, such as those with care responsibilities or health issues. 

In its research on working conditions and sustainable work, Eurofound has looked at the implications for work–life balance for parents and caregivers. 

In the context of the negotiations on the work–life balance package at EU level, and at the European Commission’s request, Eurofound has produced a review of national statistics on the uptake of family-related leave by fathers over time across the EU Member States and Norway.

Key outputs

ef21049_card_cover.png

Digital technologies have made it possible for many workers to carry out their work at any time and anywhere, with consequent advantages and disadvantages. Eurofound data show that teleworkers are...

9 szeptember 2021
Publication
Research report
ef19003-card.jpg

Gender inequality at work persists across Europe, despite the long standing attention paid and efforts made to tackle it. This Eurofound report presents a closer look at women’s and men’s...

3 március 2020
Publication
Research report
eurofound-placeholder

In the context of ongoing negotiations at EU level on adopting a work–life balance package for families and caregivers, Eurofound was requested by the European Commission to provide an update...

7 február 2019
Publication
Customised report

EU context

On 17 November 2017, the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission formally proclaimed the European Pillar of Social Rights, which included an initiative to support work–life balance. Subsequently, in June 2019, the Council adopted a new Directive on work–life balance for parents and carers. The Directive aims to increase women's participation in the labour market and outlines a number of new or improved minimum standards for parental, paternity and carer’s leave, as well as flexible working arrangements, aiming to also increase men's take-up of these.

 

Eurofound expert(s)

jorge-cabrita-2023.png

Jorge Cabrita is a senior research manager in the Working Life unit. He is responsible for formulating, coordinating and managing European-wide research, and promoting the...

Senior research manager,
Working life research unit
Publications results (121)

This report explores EU Member States’ legislation around the right to disconnect and assesses the impact of company policies in this area on employees’ hours of connection, working time, work–life balance, health and well-being, and overall workplace satisfaction.

30 November 2023

This report examines the average weekly working hours across Europe in 2021 and 2022. It covers important developments resulting from legislative reforms in collective bargaining at national or sectoral level, drawing on debates about the reduction of working time and the four-day working week.

24 October 2023

A Covid19-világjárvány a meglévő hátrányoktól függően eltérő hatást gyakorolt a társadalmi csoportokra, és széles körben úgy vélték, hogy az élet különböző területein az egyenlőtlenségek növekedését idézte elő. Ez a jelentés az EU többdimenziós egyenlőtlenségeket nyomon követő keretrendszerének

24 January 2023

Az Eurofound által először 2020 elején elindított „Élet, munka és Covid19” felmérés célja, hogy megragadja a világjárványnak az uniós polgárok munkájára és életére gyakorolt széles körű hatását. Az Eurofound felmérésének 2022 tavaszán lebonyolított ötödik fordulója az ukrajnai háború, a rekordmagas

07 December 2022

A kormányok által 2020-ban a Covid19-világjárvány megfékezése érdekében bevezetett szigorú közegészségügyi korlátozások hirtelen megváltoztatták a munkakörülményeket, és azokat az azt követő két évben is tovább formálták. 2021 márciusa és novembere között 36 országban több mint 70 000 interjúra

29 November 2022

A Covid19-világjárvány az európai társadalmak számos dimenziójában kiélezte az egyenlőtlenségeket, beleértve a nők és a férfiak közötti egyenlőtlenségeket is számos, kulcsfontosságú területen. Ez a jelentés azokat a nemek közötti egyenlőtlenségeket vizsgálja, amelyek a Covid19-válság előtt már

13 October 2022

A jelentés célja a 27 tagállam és Norvégia távmunkára vonatkozó jogszabályainak és a kollektív tárgyalásoknak a feltérképezése és elemzése. Feltárja a távmunkára vonatkozó jogszabályokkal kapcsolatos, az egyes országok közötti főbb különbségeket és hasonlóságokat, és bemutatja a vonatkozó

01 September 2022

Az Eurofound e-felmérésének 2022. március 25. és május 2. között lefolytatott ötödik fordulója információkat közöl arról, hogy milyen az európai emberek szociális és gazdasági helyzete két évvel azután, hogy a Covid19-et először észlelték az európai kontinensen. Megvizsgálja továbbá, hogy a

07 July 2022

A digitális technológiák sok munkavállaló számára lehetővé tették, hogy munkájukat bármikor és bárhol elvégezhessék, az ebből fakadó előnyök és hátrányok mellett. Az Eurofound adataiból az derül ki, hogy a távmunkát végzők kétszer nagyobb valószínűséggel lépik túl a 48 órás munkaidőkorlátot, nem

09 September 2021

Az Eurofound elektronikus felmérésének harmadik fordulója, amelyre 2021 februárjában és márciusában került sor, az európaiak társadalmi és gazdasági helyzetéről ad képet majdnem egy évvel azt követően, hogy a Covid19 miatt korlátozásokat vezettek be. Ez a jelentés áttekinti a fő megállapításokat és

10 May 2021

Online resources results (154)

Work–life balance: Policy developments

In recent years, work–life balance has become a central theme in labour policies across Europe. While EU Member States have adopted different approaches, the common aim is to promote a more inclusive working environment. A major driving force behind these policies was the Work–Life Balance Directive

In this episode of Eurofound Talks Mary McCaughey speaks with Eurofound Research Manager Tina Weber about new research on the right to disconnect, the evolution of the right to disconnect in Europe, the reasons why legislative and procedural actions are being called for, the impacts that effective

15 április 2024

Flexible work increases post-pandemic, but not for everyone

Even before the outbreak of COVID-19, various forms of flexible work, such as teleworking and flexitime, were in place across EU Member States. However, the pandemic led to a surge in flexible working practices with many workers wanting to focus on their work–life balance and have more time for

Female teleworker taking notes during video conference on her laptop

Workers want to telework but long working hours, isolation and inadequate equipment must be tackled

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a surge in telework, with dramatic increases in the number of employees working from home (teleworking) in many European countries. What for many employees started out as a mandatory move seems to have transformed into a preference among the majority for part-time or

photo_ivailo_kalfin.png

Twin transition and pandemic challenge Eurofound to increase expertise, strengthen partnerships, expand reach, says new Director

Eurofound welcomed Ivailo Kalfin to his new role as Executive Director on 1 June. After one month in the job, he reflects on the challenges facing the EU, how they will impact on the work of Eurofound and his priorities for shaping the Agency over the next five years.

Living, working and COVID-19: Impact on gender equality 11 March 2021, European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) virtual meeting Presentation by Maria Jepsen, Acting Executive Director, Eurofound

22 március 2021

Working remotely: An overview of trends, opportunities, challenges and risks 9 March 2021 Presentation by Irene Mandl, Head of unit - Employment, Eurofound

9 március 2021

Connecting and disconnecting and work-life balance 9 March 2021 Presentation by Tina Weber, Research manager - Employment unit, Eurofound

9 március 2021

A modern agenda for work–life balance 16 October 2018, Brussels, Belgium Presentation by Mathijn Wilkens, Research Officer, Christine Aumayr-Pintar, Research Manager, Anna Ludwinek, Research Manager, Eurofound

16 október 2018

Blogs results (18)

The jury is still out on the question whether men and women are from distinct planets. When it comes to the world of work, however, they are worlds apart.

25 október 2023
ef22079.png

A cocktail of insecurity, misinformation and mistrust imperil Europe’s future. Reliable, accessible data are at a premium.

14 december 2022
ef22060.png

Telework has become a permanent feature of working life in Europe. While we’ve seen the benefits of more flexible ways of working – particularly during the pandemic – the problems that arise from an increasingly connected life are also becoming clearer. Unfortunately, legislation alone may not be en

13 július 2022
image_webinar_08032022.png

One of the most striking developments of the last half-century has been the huge rise in female labour market participation in advanced economies. More than two out of every three net new jobs created over the last two decades in the EU have been taken up by women, who now account for 46% of the wor

8 március 2022
ef21075_v2.png

The pandemic has had differential impacts on women. Raised consciousness about them must be applied to advance gender equality in recovery measures. All crises have a strongly gendered impact and none more so than the current pandemic, across a range of indicators. While the virus itself seems to ta

28 április 2021
ef21069.png

This year’s theme to mark International Women’s Day on 8 March is Choose to Challenge (or #ChooseToChallenge, if you prefer). The idea is to highlight that ‘from challenge comes change’ and that ‘we can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality’.

8 március 2021
ef20085.png

​​​​​​​The decades-long trend of a narrowing gender employment gap in Europe has halted in recent years. Now the COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately affecting low-paying service sectors with a high share of social contact, including many with a majority of female workers, risking forcing them ou

9 december 2020
ef20082.png

Whatever the benefits of telework – and there are many, including more flexible working time, increased productivity and less commuting – there are drawbacks, as many of the one-third of Europeans who were exclusively working from home during the pandemic will attest. Primary among these is the ‘alw

3 december 2020
ef20060.png

The COVID-19 health crisis prompted governments to take the unprecedented step of shutting down all workplaces, apart from those providing essential goods and services, to control the spread of the virus. Every worker who was able to do so began to work from home, initiating a social experiment of a

9 június 2020
image_blog_ef20065_covid_and_gender_03062020.png

​​​​​​​While women appear to be more resilient than men to COVID-19 in terms of health outcomes, that is not the case when it comes to the economic and social fallout. Measures taken by governments to control the spread of the virus are exacerbating gender divides in unemployment, domestic labour an

3 június 2020

Data results (3)
27 október 2023
Reference period:
24 október 2023
Reference period:

Disclaimer

When freely submitting your request, you are consenting Eurofound in handling your personal data to reply to you. Your request will be handled in accordance with the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data. More information, please read the Data Protection Notice.