EU Work-life Balance Directive
The Work-life Balance Directive aims to improve families’ access to family leave and flexible work arrangements.
What is the Work-life Balance Directive?
The Work-life Balance Directive introduces a set of legislative actions designed to modernise the existing EU legal and policy frameworks, with the aims of better supporting a work-life balance for parents and carers and encouraging a more equal sharing of parental leave between men and women. The Directive entered into force on 1 August 2019.
Work-life Balance Directive points:
- paternity leave: under the directive, fathers must be able to take at least 10 working days of paternity leave around the time of birth of their child, compensated at least at the level of sick pay. Ensuring that two out of the four months of parental leave are non-transferable between parents and compensated at a level that is determined by the Member State.
- the introduction of paternity leave: under the directive, fathers must be able to take at least 10 working days of paternity leave around the time of birth of their child, compensated at least at the level of sick pay.
- ensuring that two out of the four months of parental leave are non-transferable between parents and compensated at a level that is determined by the Member State.
- the introduction of carers’ leave: workers providing personal care or support to a relative will be entitled to five days of leave per year.
- extending the right to request flexible working arrangements to carers and working parents of children up to eight years old.
