COFACE member organisation Fundacja Share the Care in Poland has published a new report examining developments in parental equality three years after the transposition of the EU Work-Life Balance Directive.
The publication, titled “Parental equality in Poland three years after the transposition of the Work-Life Balance Directive”, takes stock of how parental leave policies and family-work balance measures have evolved since the directive was implemented in Polish law in 2023. It also assesses early impacts on gender equality in care and labour market participation.
According to the report, Poland has seen gradual but visible changes in parental behaviour and policy uptake since the reform. One of the key trends highlighted is the increasing involvement of fathers in childcare, reflected in a growing share of men taking parental leave. While this shift signals progress towards a more balanced distribution of care responsibilities, the report notes that overall uptake among fathers still remains limited compared to mothers.
The analysis also links parental equality to broader labour market outcomes. Women’s employment rates continue to be significantly affected by childcare responsibilities, particularly when children are young, while men’s participation remains comparatively stable. The report suggests that this persistent gap continues to shape inequalities in professional opportunities between mothers and fathers.
Share the Care also underlines that while legal reforms have improved access to parental and paternity leave, structural and cultural barriers still influence how families use these entitlements in practice. These include workplace norms, awareness of rights, and uneven incentives for sharing care responsibilities more equally.
The publication is addressed to policymakers, employers, and public institutions, and aims to support ongoing discussions on how to strengthen the implementation of the directive and promote more equal sharing of care work across families in Poland.
By presenting data three years into the implementation process, the report contributes to a growing evidence base on how EU-level social policy translates into national practice and what remains needed to achieve full parental equality in everyday life.
Read the publication here.
Learn more about Fundacja Share the Care here.
