EU: Directive on work-life balance for parents and carers, is published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU)

The new ‘work life balance’ Directive was published in the OJEU on 12 July. Now EU Members have until 02 August 2022 to align their own national legislation to this new EU text that requires a part of parental leave to be ‘remunerated’/’compensated’ and introduces a minimum 10-day paid paternal leave period as well as a carer leave period (unpaid) of 5 days. The text also adds flexibility to working time arrangements for parents and carers.
Enjoy this article for free while you’re in your trial period
You have access to our content for 1 month.

The right to parental leave has been an EU right since 1996 when an initial Directive intended for the principle of parental leave and guaranteed equal treatment of parents who took up their rights and protecting them from employment termination based on grounds of taking up this right. Parental leave rights were then bolstered in 2010 with EU Directive 2010/18, albeit without securing the outcomes that had been sought, namely that both parents fairly share responsibility for the family....

Do you have information to share with us?
What you absolutely must read this week
The essential content of the week selected by the editorial team.
See all
Italy: decree-law adopted to increase workplace safety
On 28 October, the Italian cabinet adopted a decree-law on health and safety at work, aimed at preventing and reducing accidents. The text addresses both the powers and actions of supervisory...
4 November 2025
Romania: parents of children with disabilities granted up to eight days of remote work per month
On 9 October, the Romanian parliament adopted a bill aiming to bolster support for parents of children with disabilities up to the age of 18. The legislation, which came into force on 12 October...
Carrefour and UNI Global Union renew global agreement on promoting social dialogue and diversity
On 17 October, Carrefour, one of the world’s largest retailers, with nearly 500,000 employees worldwide, and global union federation UNI Global Union renewed their global agreement on...
mind RH analysis – Initial findings from CSRD social indicators
In 2025, for the first time, the universal registration documents of major European companies contain the sustainability reporting required by the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive...
31 October 2025
Most viewed articles of the month on mind HR
What readers clicked on the most last month.
What readers clicked on the most last month.
1
France: insurance sector becomes first to sign agreement on employment of older workers
On 25 June 2025, France Assureurs – the employers’ association for the insurance industry – and five representative trade unions signed the sector’s first three-year agreement aimed at promoting...
2
Candice Guillot (Talan): “Our recruiters save just over 80 hours per year on administrative tasks thanks to AI”
Candice Guillot, group director of employee experience and HR performance at Talan (7,000 employees), outlines for mind RH her vision and strategy for introducing artificial intelligence at the...
20 October 2025