Skip to main content
leave.jpg

Leave

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.

Topic

Recent updates

ef23007-card-cover.png

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
ef21038_card_cover.png

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)

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 (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)

Malta: Heated debate on proposed changes to Employment and Industrial Relations Act

In August 2014, the Malta Employers’ Association (MEA) put forward proposals to amend the Employment and Industrial Relations Act. The MEA's proposed curtailment of sick leave stirred heated public debate and criticism from trade unions. The MEA's response was that unions were sensationalising the

Ireland: Changes to sick pay rules worry employers

Changes to rules on state sickness benefits have caused friction between employers and unions. The changes came in the 2014 budget, with new rules meaning workers can only claim state illness benefits from the government after six days of absence. Previously they could claim after three days off

France: Donation of leave to employees with seriously ill children

Certain French companies have traditionally allowed employees to donate some of their leave to colleagues with seriously ill children. This tradition is sometimes implemented informally and sometimes enshrined in a company-level labour agreement. The French National Assembly has now passed a law

France: Effect of motherhood on employment in the public and private sectors

The family wage gap is the difference in earnings between women with and without children. A study conducted by France’s Centre for Employment Studies finds that the gap is wider in the private sector than in the public sector. This is largely because, for women, having children is linked to reduced

Industrial relations in the EU, Japan and USA, 2001

This report examines industrial relations developments in 2001 in the world's three leading economies - the European Union, Japan and the USA - with the aim of highlighting some of the main areas of difference and similarity. It looks at a number of important structures and processes and the way in

Government plans to extend paternity leave

In April 2002, the Finnish government submitted to parliament a report on child-related policy, which proposes that fathers specifically should be entitled to one month of childcare-related leave. At the same time, the social partners have promoted fathers' leave by conducting a 'time out for family

Increased flexibility for families 'may be a set-back for gender equality'

The new coalition government of the Liberal Party (Venstre) and Conservative People's Party (Konservative Folkeparti) has issued a number of controversial proposals since taking office in November 2002. First, it proposed that employees and employers should have the right to conclude an agreement on

Government proposes more flexible maternity-related leave

Early in February 2002, the new coalition government of the Liberal Party (Venstre) and Conservative People's Party (Konservative Folkeparti) (DK0112147F [1]) tabled a proposal [2] for an amendment of the existing legislation concerning maternity and parental leave. Under the proposal, the maximum

2002 Social Security Funding Law adopted

France's Social Security Funding Law for 2002 was adopted in December 2001. The law contains a number of significant provisions, such as a general rise in pensions and increased paternity leave. However, attempts to control healthcare expenditure are flagging, and the new legislation also fails to

National agreement introduces right to breastfeeding breaks

In November 2001, Belgium's National Labour Council concluded a collective agreement which introduces a right to breastfeeding breaks at work for nursing mothers from July 2002. Employers must provide a suitable area for employees who wish to use this right. The agreement brings Belgian provisions


Blogs results (1)
image_blog_parental_leave_11102018.png

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

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.