The European Parliament and the Council have reached a provisional agreement on the European Commission's proposal for a new Directive on work-life balance for parents and carers. The Commission first proposed the 'Work-life Balance' Initiative in April 2017 and is a key deliverable of the European Pillar of Social Rights. For carers, the proposals will deliver:
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The right to “carers' leave” for workers who have caring responsibilities for relatives in need of care or support due to serious medical reasons. Carers will be able to take 5 working days per year. (Member States may use a different reference period, allocate leave on a case-by-case basis, and may introduce additional conditions for the exercise of this right).
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An extension of the right to request flexible working arrangements.
First Vice-President Frans Timmermans, and Commissioners Marianne Thyssen and Vĕra Jourová welcomed the agreement with the following statement:
“The provisional agreement reached by the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission today is good news for families in Europe. The European Pillar of Social Rights is about improving the daily lives of Europeans. Today's provisional agreement makes this vision very concrete, giving families with working parents and carers a real choice on how to combine their work and family life. This is a huge step towards a more social Europe and shows the true spirit of the Pillar.”
Member states will now examine the provisional agreement, which still needs to be endorsed by the Council's Permanent Representatives Committee. The formal vote in both the Council and the European Parliament will follow at a later stage.
You can read more on the joint agreement here: https://bit.ly/2Ue81So