Unit 6.1, WLB

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MODULE 6 - Unit 1

WORK LIFE BALANCE & European dimension

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Work-Life Balance Initiative

What is the European Pillar of Social Rights? It’s a set of 20 key principles and rights, proclaimed at the 2017 Gothenborg summit, to support fair and well-functioning labour markets, structured around three chapters:

• equal opportunities and access to the labour market;
• fair working conditions;
• social protection and inclusion.

The objectives of these principles are:

• improve employment: at least 78% of the population (20-64 years old) should be in employment in 2030;
• improve skills: at least 60% of all adults should participate in training every year by 2030;
• reduce poverty: at least 15 million fewer people at risk of poverty or social exclusion by 2030.

Principle n. 9 is about Work life Balance: “Parents and people with caring responsibilities have the right to suitable leave, flexible working arrangements and access to care services. Women and men shall have equal access to special leaves of absence in order to fulfil their caring responsibilities and be encouraged to use them in a balanced way”.

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What does work-life balance mean?Work–life balance is a satisfactory state of equilibrium between an individual’s work and private life.What is the Work-Life Balance Initiative?Based on developments in society over the past decade, with the aim of share responsibilities between women and men for better work and family lives, Work-Life Balance Initiative addresses the work-life balance challenges faced by working parents and carers. After the withdrawal of the Maternity Leave Directive, because of negotiations stalled, the EU Commission decided to take a broader approach in addressing women's underrepresentation in the labour market and introduced a set of legislative actions designed to modernise the existing EU legal and policy frameworks: the Work-life Balance Directive. So, The Work-Life Balance Directive, is one of the actions/deliverables of the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan to further implement the Pillar principles. The Directive, which was passed by the European Parliament in April 2019, entered into force on 1 August 2019, so Member States have until August 1, 2022 to adopt the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with the Directive.

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