Work-Life Balance for Europeans

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Work-Life Balance for Europeans

Table of Contents

Introduction
Flexible Working Arrangements
Access to Parental Leave
Fair Working Conditions
Sustainable Social Protection
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Work-life balance is considered one of the most important professional values of the 21st century. Research has confirmed that it leads to greater financial returns, higher organizational performance and commitment, and increased job and overall life satisfaction (Lee & Sirgy, 2017; Wood et al., 2020). As a result, lawmakers and human resource departments have been attempting to create the right working environment for employees. In 2019, the EU officially adopted the Work-Life Balance Directive as one of the European Pillars of Social Rights (European Commission, 2019). The most important aspects of work-life balance for the EU are flexible working arrangements, access to parental leave, fair working conditions, and sustainable social protection.

Flexible Working Arrangements

Offering flexible working arrangements signifies granting employees control over when and where they work. Its popularity has substantially increased in most industrialized countries, with flexibility regarding location, starting and finishing times, rest periods, on-call times, and part-time and term-time working (Chung & van der Lippe, 2020; Eurofond, 2017). It can range from employees having the right to autonomously arrange their working schedule to periodically taking an hour or two off work to take care of personal or family matters (Eurofound, 2017). This strategy facilitates work-life balance by allowing employees to successfully combine work with their other life responsibilities, such as caretaking (Waddington & Bell, 2021). Furthermore, it ultimately benefits the employer by reducing absenteeism and employee turnover (Austin-Egole, Iheriohanma, & Nwokorie, 2020). Flexibility in the workplace concerning scheduling and location has a significant impact on work-life balance.

Only a few European countries grant workers the right to request changes in work arrangements. The most recent survey on European Working Conditions reveals that only about a quarter of workers had flexible schedules (Eurofound, 2017). The EU Directive 2019, which must be implemented into domestic law by August 2022, gives all employees and carers with young children the right to request flexible working arrangements (Waddington & Bell, 2021). However, it should be noted that the employee has the right for their request to be seriously considered; the employer is under no obligation to grant it. Under the newly implemented EU law, parents and carers with young children have the right to request flexible working arrangements.

Access to Parental Leave

The term parental leave encapsulates the right of new parents to receive paid time off prior to and after childbirth without losing their job. The vast majority of the world has statutes regarding maternity leave, but there has recently been increased emphasis on paternity leave as a tool for enhancing gender equality and mens involvement in care-taking tasks. Access to paid leave improves work-life balance by allowing parents and carers to focus on their family responsibilities without compromising economic security. It allows new mothers to recover from childbirth and adjust to their new caregiving responsibilities. Long maternity and paternity leave are one of the most crucial policies to enhance work-life balance.

There is significant variation in parental leave mandates in different European countries. Germany mandates 14 weeks of maternity leave with full salary, while new mothers in Bulgaria are entitled to 410 days (Smith, 2022). The Directive 2006/54 states that women are protected against dismissal and entitled to return to their jobs on the same terms and conditions (European Commission, n.d.). According to EU Directive 2019, a minimum of four months of parental leave should be implemented, with at least two of them adequately compensated at a level deemed appropriate in each country (European Commission, n.d.). The same Directive introduced then the concept of paternity leave into EU legislation, with the father being granted the right to take at least ten working days off (European Commission, n.d.). While the exact provisions vary by country, the European Union has set clear minimum standards for parental and paternity leave.

Fair Working Conditions

Fair working conditions pertain to legal protections against employee exploitation and abuse. Its dimensions include fair wages, limited working hours, social dialogue, job security, and workplace safety and health (Vendramin & Parent-Thirion, 2019). Equitable conditions are a significant contributor to work-life balance because they adjust the human needs of employees with organizational demands through ongoing social dialogue. Without these legal regulations, employees would be forced to work faster and more intensely, which has adverse consequences on their mental and physical health (Vendramin & Parent-Thirion, 2019). Fair working conditions enable employees to fulfill their family or social commitments outside of work and thus facilitate work-life balance.

The EU has several legal provisions to ensure equitable working conditions. Firstly, while the minimum wage is set on a national level, Member States are indirectly advised to set minimum wages that support job creation and competitiveness (Arpaia et al., 2017). Secondly, employees cannot be forced to work for more than 48 hours per week, including overtime (Your Europe, 2021). They are entitled to a break every six hours and at least four weeks of annual paid leave (Your Europe, 2021). Thirdly, under Article 151 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the promotion of social dialogue between management and workers is the common objective of the EU (Bordogna, 2018). The EU has several directives to ensure fair working conditions and worker involvement.

Sustainable social protection is defined as the ability of the government and society to help citizens cope with transitory periods when their income security is compromised. It includes social coverages such as healthcare, pensions, and unemployment benefits (International Labour Organization, 2017). Promoting equitable and sustainable social protection systems for workers between jobs is a key component of achieving fair working conditions for all (International Labour Organization, 2017). Work-life balance is a basic human right, not a privilege afforded only to high-income professionals at the expense of lower-income workers (Chieregato, 2019). Citizens who are currently unemployed, especially due to their gender or migratory background, are also entitled to worker autonomy and work-life balance.

Most Member States enforce their own social protection system at a national level, which varies by duration and eligibility criteria. All countries provide unemployment benefits and health coverage, although it is not always adequate. Under Article 34 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, everyone has the right to social security benefits and access to healthcare (European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, n.d.). However, the organization of these systems remains a national competence (European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, n.d.). While charters recognize the right to social assistance, EU legislation is more concerned with protecting mobile workers moving from one country to another.

Conclusion

In conclusion, work-life balance is one of the guiding principles of European Union labor law. Flexible working arrangements and parental leave enable parents to focus on their caretaking tasks without compromising their job security. Access to both is guaranteed by the EU Directive 2019, which has to be transposed into domestic law by August 2, 2022. Fair working conditions improve employee wellbeing and autonomy by providing safeguards against exploitation. EU law states that employees have the right to breaks, daily rest, and annual paid leave. Sustainable social protection ensures that work-life balance is a basic human right, not the privilege of a few, by providing support to citizens during periods of illness, retirement, or unemployment. All Member States have some form of social benefits and health coverage, but EU law is mostly concerned with mobile workers.

References

Arpaia, A., Cardoso, P., Kiss, A., van Herck, K., Vandeplas, A. (2017). Statutory minimum wages in the EU: Institutional settings and macroeconomic implications. IZA Policy Paper, 124.

Austin-Egole, I. S., Iheriohanma, E. B. J., & Nwokorie, C. (2020). Flexible working arrangements and organizational performance: An overview. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science 25(5), 50-59.

Bordogna, L. (2018). Social dialogue in the public service in selected countries of the European Union. International Labor Organization Working Paper No. 318.

Chieregato, E. (2020). A worklife balance for all? Assessing the inclusiveness of EU Directive 2019/1158. International Journal of Comparative Labour Law and Industrial Relations, 36(1), 59-80.

Chung, H., & van der Lippe, T. (2020). Flexible working, work-life balance, and gender equality: Introduction. Social Indicators Research, 151, 365-381.

Eurofound. (2017). Sixth European working conditions survey Overview report (2017 Update). Publications Office of the European Union.

European Commission. (n.d.). EU rights to work-life balance. Web.

European Union. (2007). Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. In Official Journal of the European Union C 303 (Vol. 17). European Union.

International Labour Organization. (2017). Strengthening social protection for the future of work.

Sirgy, M. J., & Lee, D. J. (2018). Work-life balance: An integrative review. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 13(1), 229-254.

Smith, I. (2022). Where in Europe should you live to get the longest paternity leave? Euronews.

Vendramin, P., & Parent-Thirion, A. (2019). Redefining working conditions in Europe. International Development Policy, 11, 1-19.

Waddington, L., & Bell, M. (2021). The right to request flexible working arrangements under the Work-life Balance DirectiveA comparative perspective. European Labour Law Journal, 12(4), 508-528.

Wood, J., Oh, J., Park, J., & Kim, W. (2020). The relationship between work engagement and worklife balance in organizations: A review of the empirical research. Human Resource Development Review, 00(0), 1-23.

Your Europe. (2021). Working hours.