NEW EU DIRECTIVE ON WORK-LIFE BALANCE

On 4 April 2019 the European Parliament adopted a new Directive on paternity leave and non-transferable parental leave. The aim of the new provisions is to promote gender equality by boosting women’s representation in the workplace and strengthening the role of fathers in the family, and also to enable working parents to reconcile work and family commitments.

According to the new rules, Members States must ensure 10 days of paternity leave paid at the level of sick pay (in Hungary only 5 days of paternity leave is available for fathers). The new provisions provide two months of non-transferable and paid parental leave for working parents. The purpose of this leave is to promote a more balanced distribution of caring responsibilities within the family. Member States must also provide 5 days of leave per year for workers providing personal care to a relative living with serious medical condition or age-related impairment (in Hungary two additional days of leave is available for parents of disabled child). Furthermore, working parents and carers would be able to request from their employers flexible working conditions (e.g. remote working or flexible schedules).

Member States have to comply with the new provisions within three years.