The community institutions (Commission, Council and Parliament) yesterday approved a provisional agreement that sets minimum standards for the reconciliation of work and family life in all countries that belong to the European Union: all fathers and mothers will enjoy a minimum of four months of permission for the birth or adoption of a child. But there are more advances.
A step forward for reconciliation
The text of the new directive, which must be formally approved by Parliament and the Council and will be launched within a maximum period of three years, focuses mainly on these points:
The minimum of four months of paternity and maternity leave.
Two of them must be non-transferable and remunerated.. The States accepted it in exchange for freedom to set the amount of the remuneration (it will be at least 65% of the net salary).
Companies must give ten days to his employees by birth of their children.
Caregiver Permit: five-day allowance per worker and year as a new European law for workers.
The new rules reinforce the right of all parents and caregivers to request flexible work formulas: All parents with children under the age of eight or dependent family members must have the right to request a reduction in working hours, a schedule compatible with family care or flexibility in the workplace.
In Babies and more Do you equate paternity leave or extend maternity leave? Different positions on conciliationFirst Vice President Frans Timmermans and Commissioners Marianne Thyssen and Vĕra Jourová welcome the agreement with the following statement:
"The European pillar of social rights is to improve the day-to-day life of Europeans. Today's provisional agreement takes this idea to the realm of the concrete, and gives families with parents and caregivers who work the real option of choosing how they want combine their work and family life. This is a huge step towards a more social Europe and shows the true spirit of the European pillar of social rights. "
In Babies and moreThe figures speak: co-responsibility in the care of children between fathers and mothers, still far away How does it affect us?
The new community directive falls too short for Swedish and Belgian parents, who already have the rights now recognized.
In Babies and more Maternity leave in Europe and in the worldBut it will be a leap forward for those who reside in the 11 countries that still do not give ten days at the time of the birth of the children (Greece, for example gives two and Germany none), the 12 states that do not provide non-transferable permits (between they Austria, Finland, Denmark, Hungary or Slovakia) or those who still do not charge anything.
And, of course, those who do not reach four months of paternity leave. Especially beneficial will be this measure for parents from countries where they do not have any day of leave (just the day of delivery) and others where they only have one or two, such as in Italy, the Netherlands, Luxembourg or Greece.
These European measures also benefit Spain.
In Babies and more Paternity leave in Spain: how long does parental leave last in each situation?The duration of the paternity leave was extended from four to five weeks in 2018, and pending the approval of the General State Budgets, this year will be increased to eight, 12 in 2020 and 16 in 2021.
But the right of parents and caregivers to request flexible work formulas is also a step forward for most countries, since only Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom collect it in their legislation.
Pending job
In addition to these measures, the Commission includes a series of recommendations to EU countries. Among them, that their tax systems do not penalize paternity, that they invest more in aid to parents such as childcare centers (even going to European funds), or that the protection against discrimination and the dismissal of caregivers and parents, including pregnant women and workers returning after parental leave is guaranteed.
Legislation of these minimums is necessary according to the European Commission: in the EU the wage gap (which takes into account the difference in hourly remuneration, hours of paid work and employment rate) is 16.2%.
The female employment rate is 11.5 points lower in the EU than the male; 31.1% of women work part-time, compared to 8.2% of men. In addition, 31% of those who do not work say they do so to care for a family member.
And in Spain it is hardly better: 14.2%.
According to the European representatives:
"It is not just about reinforcing people's rights. The new rules are a model to harmonize social and economic priorities. Businesses will be able to attract and retain talented men and women. The European economy will benefit from this proposal, which will contribute to reducing the gender gap in employment. Improving the reconciliation of family life and professional life for both women and men is not only a matter of justice, but also of intelligence. "
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