Challenges of work-life balance faced by working families

Challenges of work-life balance faced by working families

Evidence Review May 2016

Arnaud Vaganay, Esther Can?nico, Emilie Courtin

Social Europe

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Directorate Social Affairs Unit C1 - Social investment Strategy

European Commission B-1049 Brussels

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Challenges of work-life balance faced by working families

2016

Directorate-General for Employment Social Affairs and Inclusion

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This document has been prepared for the European Commission however it reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. More information on the European Union is available on the Internet (). Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2016 ISBN: 978-92-79-58433-6 doi:10.2767/40435 ? European Union, 2016 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. For any use of photo which are not under the European Union copyright, permission must be sought directly from the copyright holder(s) indicated.

Challenges of work-life balance faced by working families

Table of contents

1. Introduction................................................................................................................................................. 3 2. Breastfeeding provisions ........................................................................................................................ 6 3. Introduction of a paternity leave...................................................................................................... 23 4. Carer's leave.............................................................................................................................................. 43 5. Right to flexible or part-time work .................................................................................................. 67 6. Paid parental leave............................................................................................................................... 102 7. Father quota............................................................................................................................................ 134 Appendix 1. Methodology ...................................................................................................................... 152

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Challenges of work-life balance faced by working families

1. Introduction

The aim of this review is to providence evidence of the expected costs and benefits incurred by five reforms envisaged by the European Commission (EC).

1.1. Policy interventions

This review considers five reforms:

? The introduction of a carers' leave, which can be defined as a short period of leave to take care of ill, disabled or impaired family members. Carers' leave allows people to stay in employment when taking a leave in order to care for dependent family members in the ageing society [1].

? The introduction of a paternity leave, which is generally a short period of leave specifically for the father, immediately following childbirth, the main purpose of which is to allow him to spend some time with the new child and his partner [2], [3].

? The introduction of a paid parental leave. Parental leave is a leave available equally to mothers and fathers, either as: (i) a non-transferable individual right (i.e. both parents have an entitlement to an equal amount of leave); or (ii) an individual right that can be transferred to the other parent; or (iii) a family right that parents can divide between themselves as they choose [2], [3].

? The introduction of a father's quota. The father's quota (also known as `paternal leave' or `daddy days/months') is a non-transferable share of the parental leave strictly reserved to the father. The aim of this quota is to encourage gender equality and increase work-life balance.

? The introduction of EU-wide breastfeeding provisions at work, including a right to a breastfeeding break and access to appropriate facilities [1].

? The extension of flexible and part-time work arrangement. The aim of this extension would be to promote various types of flexible working arrangements (e.g. teleworking, job-sharing, flexible working times) for both women and men in order to meet the needs of the carers and the employers, taking into account opportunities offered by modern working patterns and technology [1].

More detailed reform specifications (and assumptions) can be found in relevant sections.

Such a classification is not always conducive to analysis since actual provisions may deviate from it. The boundaries between these different types of interventions tend to blur and various categories of leave may overlap or be substitutable. Long maternity leave, as in the UK (up to 52 weeks) functions de facto like parental leave in other countries. Alternatively, parental leave may constitute an extension of maternity or paternity leave, with both being paid in the same way as wage compensation (e.g. Finland), or be separate when it is unpaid (e.g. Ireland). The distinction between maternity and paternity leave also tends to be blurred in some countries, especially in the case of post-natal leave. Parental leave is also no longer restricted to infants. It may often be taken in a flexible and staggered fashion and long after the initial paternity/maternity

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Challenges of work-life balance faced by working families

leave, when the child is older, or when adopting a child. It may also function as leave to care for a sick child.

In the interests of clarity, this report considers each reform separately ? despite the above-mentioned overlaps. In order fully to understand the complete picture of parental leave, it is important to keep in mind that the whole range of provisions in a particular country may be combined, shared between parents or follow on from one another chronologically.

1.2. Issues of interest

This review considers:

Needs assessment: ? Mapping of existing legislated provisions; ? Mapping of other existing provisions; ? Evidence of take-up; ? Correlation with outcomes of interest.

Expected effects on beneficiaries, including: ? Physical and mental health (well-being); ? Employment outcomes and wages; ? Career planning; ? Career prospects; ? Family planning; ? Work-family conflict.

Expected effects on the cared for, including: ? Physical and mental health (well-being); ? Practices assumed by the author to be favourable to the dependent: e.g.

o Fathers' involvement (i.e. time spent with dependent) o Breastfeeding.

Expected effects on employers, including: ? Employee outcomes (e.g. organizational commitment); ? Absenteeism; ? Productivity.

Expected effects on the wider society, including: ? Fertility; ? Gains in QALYs; ? Gender equality; ? Costs to the taxpayer; ? Human capital depreciation; ? Income distribution; ? Social mobility; ? Society's welfare.

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Challenges of work-life balance faced by working families

Factors impeding or boosting take-up/effectiveness, including: ? Policy characteristics, ? Dependent's health; ? Other policy provisions; ? Personal factors (health, education, professional status); ? Professional factors (e.g. family-friendliness of the employer); ? Family-related factors (e.g. partner's income).

1.3. Methodology

This review is based on empirical evidence collected from a number of databases. A detailed methodology can be found in Annex 1.

1.4. Overview of the literature

Table 1.1 ? Number of sources per reform and issue.

Mapping

Effect on beneficiaries

Effect on the cared for

Effect on employers

Effect on wider society

Take up

Carer's leave

8 46

1

5

6 21

Paid parental

leave

14

51

Paternity leave

4

Flexible and parttime work

Breastfeeding provisions

--

--

Father's quota

2

2

--

--

12

22

2

--

--

5

11

9

--

--

1

45

4

--

--

21

42

9

--

--

20

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