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For workers, leave arrangements have a direct impact on quality of life, work-life balance and the overall sustainability of working life. The main leave entitlements of importance to workers are annual leave, maternity leave, parental leave, paternity leave and sick leave, so that the worker can recover from being ill. The European Pillar of Social Rights encourages gender-balanced use of family-related leave and flexible working arrangements. Women and men shall have equal access to special leaves of absence in order to fulfil their caring responsibilities towards both children and ageing parents.

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Recent updates

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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...

24 October 2023
Publication
Research report
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The most relevant changes in working time regulation in Europe in 2019 and 2020 addressed challenges arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most focused on short-time working schemes...

14 October 2021
Publication
Research report

Eurofound expert(s)

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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 (14)

This article presents some of the key developments and research findings on aspects of individual employment relations in the EU during the first quarter of 2014. The terms and conditions of employment, entitlements and obligations and aspects related to the termination of the employment

18 February 2015

Working time policies, although designed within the national and sectoral framework and the boundaries of institutional regulations, are fine-tuned and implemented at the level of each company, taking account of the environment in which the company operates and the workforce it is employing. Hence

08 December 2009

The Foundation’s Company Survey on Working Time and Work–Life Balance 2004–2005 set out to map the use of a variety of working time arrangements in companies, to assess the reasons for their introduction and their impact. This analytical report addresses the issue of parental leave as well as other

17 June 2008

The comparative supplement in this issue of EIRObserver looks at the current position on family-related leave in 19 EU Member States and Norway, focusing on regulation by collective bargaining. The supplement also examines the views of trade unions and employers on this issue and assesses the impact

30 November 2004

Online resources results (102)

Luxembourg: Extending parental leave to improve work–life balance

Since 1 January 2018, paternity leave in Luxembourg has been increased from 2 to 10 days, under legislation passed in December 2017. The law, aimed to improve people’s work–life balance, also introduces more flexibility for parents to use leave to take care of a sick child, but reduces some leave

Cyprus: Latest working life developments – Q4 2017

A work stoppage by cleaning staff at the state hospital in Limassol, and the agreement to establish a single collective agreement for all local government employees are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in Cyprus in

Malta: Government to re-instate workers' leave for public holidays at weekend

Unions in Malta have welcomed the government’s intention to honour its electoral promise of extra leave for workers – this entitles workers to time-off in lieu of public holidays which fall on a weekend. Employers have protested that this would increase their operating costs, and the government is

Article

Malta: Latest working life developments – Q3 2017

Compensating workers for weekend public holidays, the effect of legalising marijuana in the workplace, and a proposal that the first day of sick leave should be unpaid are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in Malta in

Malta: Latest working life developments – Q2 2017

Disappointment over the minimum wage increase, plus proposals to compensate workers for weekend public holidays and to allow parents to take sick leave to care for children are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in

Slovenia: Social partners have mixed reactions to proposed healthcare reform

Trade unions and employers have called for tripartite negotiations on a new healthcare reform proposal published in January by Health Minister Milojka Kolar Celarc. The government plans to abolish voluntary complementary health insurance in favour of a compulsory healthcare levy. While welcoming

Slovakia: Incentives for men to take time off work for family life

Young men in Slovakia are increasingly breaking with tradition to take time off to care for their children. There is a small but steady rise in the numbers of men benefiting from two forms of parental entitlement: parental allowance and maternity benefit (open to fathers under certain conditions).

Luxembourg: New parental leave law enters into force

The new law to extend the scope of parental leave, and establish an allowance for this which is proportional to income, came into force in Luxembourg on 1 December 2016. The government has also presented a draft law to increase certain types of family leave, also with the aim of achieving a better

Ireland: New paternity leave law could benefit up to 40,000 fathers

It is estimated that between 30,000 and 40,000 fathers a year will apply for the new paternity leave benefit which entitles a ‘relevant parent’ to claim two weeks’ continuous paid leave from his or her employment within 26 weeks of the birth/adoption of their child.

Bulgaria: Latest working life developments – Q3 2016

Government measures to support employment, the representativeness of the social partner organisations, and the social partners’ failure to agree on an increase in minimum insurance thresholds are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in


Blogs results (1)
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Few events challenge the equilibrium between work and life like the arrival of a child. As gender roles continue to change in Europe, supporting the uptake of paternity and parental leave among fathers is fundamental, not just to close the ‘caring gap’ between men and women, but also to provide the

11 October 2018

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