Commission takes action to promote work-life balance in the EU 

Commission takes action to promote work-life balance in the EU 

To safeguard the right to work-life balance across Member States, in April 2023, the European Commission decided to continue infringement procedures against Belgium Czechia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Austria, and Slovenia by sending them a reasoned opinion for failing to notify national measures fully transposing EU rules establishing rights on work-life balance for parents and carers. 

Study shows parental leave has benefits for mental health

Study shows parental leave has benefits for mental health

Becoming a parent can be very joyful, but it can also be stressful. A study by Amy Heshmati, Helena Honkaniemi and Sol P. Juárez (Stockholm University) shows that mental health disorders during the post-natal period are common morbidity, but parental leave might help alleviate symptoms by preventing or reducing stress.

Working conditions in the time of COVID-19: Implications for the future

Working conditions in the time of COVID-19: Implications for the future

The strict public health restrictions implemented by governments in 2020 to control the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly changed working life and continued to shape it over the two years that followed. This report by the European Working Conditions Telephone Survey (EWCTS) provides a detailed picture of the working lives and conditions of Europeans in that exceptional time.

EU Work-life Balance Directive transposition in action – A mixed picture: From non-compliance and basic minimum standards to ambitious reforms for modern gender-responsive family policies.

EU Work-life Balance Directive transposition in action – A mixed picture: From non-compliance and basic minimum standards to ambitious reforms for modern gender-responsive family policies.

The EU Work-life Balance Directive is the first legislative initiative that follows the launch of the European Pillar of Social Rights in 2017 and was formally adopted two years later in 2019. COFACE Families Europe expects high ambitions from the different EU institutions and national governments in the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, as a stepping stone to develop a framework for a more social and fairer European Union.