A step forward: New work-life balance package to improve the lives of working parents

26.04.17

Brussels - The European Commission has put forward an ambitious and comprehensive proposal on “Work-Life balance for working parents and carers”.

Make Mothers Matter has joined a Coalition of European NGOs to warmly welcome this initiative. We are pleased to see it reflect our demands for a life-cycle and transversal approach. We are convinced that this initiative has the potential to bring real change in the lives of many Europeans.

First, we welcome the initiatives improving the current leave schemes as well as provisions of quality, affordable and accessible care services and the introduction of the right to request flexible working arrangements. A demand from MMM since several years and a very important measure to enable working mothers to remain or re-entry the labour market.

Some of the measures included are particularly helpful, notably the introduction of a paid paternity leave of ten days at EU level and a minimum payment at sick leave level of parental leave and increased flexibility (it can be taken until 12 years of age of the child and full time or part time). Payment, flexibility and non-transferability have been proven crucial to increase take- up among fathers. The Directive introduces also a new carers’ leave of 5 days per year paid also at sick pay level.

For more information

Most read articles

In this together: Share the Care, Transform Tomorrow

02.07.22

UN New York, HLPF - Join us on July 11th for a discussion on how #SharingTheCare at every level - family, community, governments and private sector - is vital for

Lire plus

An almost Perfect Mother – New Podcast series with Isabelle Roskam

26.04.22

We are delighted to be launching our new podcast series An almost Perfect Mother featuring Isabelle Roskam, professor of development and parenting psychology at the University of Louvain, Belgium. Isa

Lire plus

Prioritising SDG 5 Target 5.4 to recognize the work of mothers and advance all the SDGs

09.05.22

UN New York, HLPF - In the Sustainable Development Goals, Target 5.4 calls for the recognition, reduction and redistribution of unpaid family care work, i.e. the domestic and care work

Lire plus
See all the articlesof the category

News from the MMM European Delegation

Care on the Move: Addressing the Gender Gap

24.02.23

On 28th February 2023, Make Mothers Matter together with partners, is organizing a conference at the European Parliament to tackle the issue of the gender care gap in relation to intra-EU mobility. Featuring Dr

Read more

EU Directive on Pay Transparency

07.02.23

MMM welcomes a new political decision by the European Parliament and the European Council taken in December 2022, regarding pay transparency measures.

Read more

Single Mothers within the European Union

14.12.22

Despite the growing number of families headed by a single parent, single parents remain one of the most vulnerable groups when it comes to poverty, housing and energy deficits, and health challenges.

Read more

MMM seeks academic partner for new EU Survey

06.12.22

We are searching for an academic partner for an EU survey on issues concerning mothers to be used as a lever for change.

Read more

MMM Response to the EU Care Strategy

18.11.22

We need care when we are very young or very old, experiencing sickness or disability and the people who provide this care are indispensable actors in European economies and societies.

Read more

MMM contributes to EU Care Strategy

18.05.22

In these unprecedented times, when Europe is navigating a global pandemic, when political tensions are boiling over threatening to destabilize the global order, it is vital to reflect on the people who hold the

Read more