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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

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Work–life balance: Policy developments

In recent years, work–life balance has become a central theme in labour policies across Europe. While EU Member States have adopted different approaches, the common aim is to promote a...

Article
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Working time in 2021–2022

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
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Working time in 2019–2020

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)

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Jorge Cabrita

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)

Working time in 2021–2022

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, drawing on debates about the reduction of working time and the four-day working week.

24 October 2023
Publication
Research report
Working time
Agreements
Collective bargaining
Leave
Industrial relations and social dialogue
Work-life balance
Working conditions
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Working time in 2019–2020

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, on approaches to teleworking for those able to work from home and on regulations to ensure the safe provision

14 October 2021
Publication
Research report
Social dialogue
Working time
Working conditions
European Pillar of Social Rights
Collective bargaining
Leave
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Working time in 2017–2018

This biennial review charts developments in a range of working time issues in the EU and Norway in 2017–2018. It finds that while the average collectively agreed working week across the EU remains unchanged since 2016 – at 38 hours – there was a slight decrease in the past two years in the 15 Member

03 October 2019
Publication
Research report
Working time
Working conditions
Industrial relations
Leave
Labour and social regulation
Working conditions and sustainable work
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Parental and paternity leave – Uptake by fathers

In the context of ongoing negotiations at EU level on adopting a work–life balance package for families and caregivers, Eurofound was requested by the European Commission to provide an update of the available data regarding paternity and parental leave for fathers. This report presents the currently

07 February 2019
Publication
Customised report
Gender equality
Industrial relations
Labour and social regulation
Leave
Work-life balance
Working conditions
Working time
Working conditions and sustainable work
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Working time developments in the 21st century: Work duration and its regulation in the EU

This report examines the main trends and milestones characterising the evolution of the most important aspects of collectively agreed working time in the European Union during the first decade of the 21st century. Drawing primarily on information collected by Eurofound across all EU Member States

01 March 2016
Publication
Research report
Working time
Work-life balance
Collective bargaining
Industrial relations
Leave
Labour and social regulation
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Commission withdraws proposal to extend maternity leave, promising a fresh start – Developments at EU level – Q2 2015

The Commission has decided to withdraw its draft Maternity Leave Directive, which has been stuck in the legislative process since 2008. This article describes key developments and explores some of the contradictions that were predicted in the Commission’s 2015 Work Programme and the Better

14 July 2015
Publication
Research report
Leave
Labour and social regulation
Working conditions
Working conditions and sustainable work

Maternity leave provisions in the EU Member States: Duration and allowances

The Maternity Leave Directive (92/85/EEC) is concerned with improvements in the safety and health at work of women who are pregnant, have recently given birth or who are breastfeeding. This report finds that nearly all Member States comply with the directive’s provision of granting at least two

13 July 2015
Publication
Customised report
Gender equality
Labour and social regulation
Leave
Pay and income
Social protection
Working conditions
Working conditions and sustainable work

Opting out of the European Working Time Directive

The European Working Time Directive lays down minimum safety and health requirements for the organisation of working time in the EU by, for example, establishing that all workers have the right to a limit to weekly working time of 48 hours.

12 June 2015
Publication
Customised report
Leave
Health and well-being at work
New forms of employment
Working time
Working conditions
Working conditions and sustainable work

Promoting uptake of parental and paternity leave among fathers in the European Union

The take-up rate of parental and paternity leave among fathers has been increasing in most Member States but it still remains relatively low. Covering all the EU Member States and Norway, this report looks at the most recent trends in terms of take-up of parental and paternity leave, existing

25 February 2015
Publication
Customised report
Collective bargaining
Gender equality
Industrial relations
Leave
Social partners
Working conditions
Working conditions and sustainable work
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Health and well-being at work - Q2 2014 (EurWORK topical update)

This article presents some of the key developments and research findings on health and well-being in workplaces in the EU during the second quarter of 2014. The new strategic framework on health and safety, work–life balance, patterns of sick leave and initiatives to combat violence and harassment

18 February 2015
Publication
Research report
Health and well-being at work
Leave
Work-life balance
Working conditions
Working conditions and sustainable work
Online resources results (103)

Work–life balance: Policy developments

In recent years, work–life balance has become a central theme in labour policies across Europe. While EU Member States have adopted different approaches, the common aim is to promote a more inclusive working environment. A major driving force behind these policies was the Work–Life Balance Directive

16 September 2024
Article
Industrial relations and social dialogue
Work-life balance
Leave
Care
Labour and social regulation

Luxembourg: Extending parental leave to improve work–life balance

Since 1 January 2018, paternity leave in Luxembourg has been increased from 2 to 10 days, under legislation passed in December 2017. The law, aimed to improve people’s work–life balance, also introduces more flexibility for parents to use leave to take care of a sick child, but reduces some leave

15 February 2018
Article
Labour law
Leave
Work-life balance

Cyprus: Latest working life developments – Q4 2017

A work stoppage by cleaning staff at the state hospital in Limassol, and the agreement to establish a single collective agreement for all local government employees are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in Cyprus in

1 February 2018
Article
Agreements
Collective bargaining
Leave

Malta: Government to re-instate workers' leave for public holidays at weekend

Unions in Malta have welcomed the government’s intention to honour its electoral promise of extra leave for workers – this entitles workers to time-off in lieu of public holidays which fall on a weekend. Employers have protested that this would increase their operating costs, and the government is

23 November 2017
Article
Leave

Malta: Latest working life developments – Q3 2017

Compensating workers for weekend public holidays, the effect of legalising marijuana in the workplace, and a proposal that the first day of sick leave should be unpaid are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in Malta in

27 October 2017
Article
Leave
Living conditions and quality of life
Social partners
Work-life balance

Malta: Latest working life developments – Q2 2017

Disappointment over the minimum wage increase, plus proposals to compensate workers for weekend public holidays and to allow parents to take sick leave to care for children are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in

14 July 2017
Article
Social partners
Living conditions
Leave
Minimum wage

Slovenia: Social partners have mixed reactions to proposed healthcare reform

Trade unions and employers have called for tripartite negotiations on a new healthcare reform proposal published in January by Health Minister Milojka Kolar Celarc. The government plans to abolish voluntary complementary health insurance in favour of a compulsory healthcare levy. While welcoming

29 June 2017
Article
Leave
Social dialogue
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Slovakia: Incentives for men to take time off work for family life

Young men in Slovakia are increasingly breaking with tradition to take time off to care for their children. There is a small but steady rise in the numbers of men benefiting from two forms of parental entitlement: parental allowance and maternity benefit (open to fathers under certain conditions).

2 May 2017
Article
Living conditions
Gender equality
Leave
Work-life balance

Luxembourg: New parental leave law enters into force

The new law to extend the scope of parental leave, and establish an allowance for this which is proportional to income, came into force in Luxembourg on 1 December 2016. The government has also presented a draft law to increase certain types of family leave, also with the aim of achieving a better

15 February 2017
Article
Leave
Work-life balance
Working conditions
Working conditions and sustainable work

Ireland: New paternity leave law could benefit up to 40,000 fathers

It is estimated that between 30,000 and 40,000 fathers a year will apply for the new paternity leave benefit which entitles a ‘relevant parent’ to claim two weeks’ continuous paid leave from his or her employment within 26 weeks of the birth/adoption of their child.

9 November 2016
Article
Gender equality
Leave
Working conditions
Industrial relations
Working conditions and sustainable work
Industrial relations and social dialogue
Blogs results (1)
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Progress in paternity and parental leave for fathers – Are baby steps enough?

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
Christine Aumayr-Pintar
Blog
Working conditions and sustainable work
Work-life balance
Gender equality
Leave

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