In its 2016 Work Programme, the European Commission announced a ‘new start’ initiative on work-life balance covering both legislative and non-legislative measures. The intention is to review the EU regulatory and policy landscape in this field with a view to better tackling the challenges of work-life balance for parents and people with caring responsibilities.
To support the Commission’s analysis and to reinforce the ‘new start’ initiative, the European Social Policy Network (ESPN) was asked to take stock of the various measures in place to help working-age people with dependent relatives to balance work and caring responsibilities, and to assess their effectiveness. The ‘Synthesis Report “Work-life balance measures for persons of working age with dependent relatives in Europe – A study of national policies’ draws on the national contributions prepared by the 35 ESPN Country Teams.
This Synthesis Report is concerned with some of the key questions that arise regarding a) the work-life balance of working-age people (mainly women), who care for disabled and chronically ill dependent relatives, b) reconciling work and care obligations and c) maintaining the well-being of the carers and their families. The analysis focuses on carers of working age, whether or not they are actually working.
Link to the report and more information on the ESPN available here
Reconciling Work and Family Life 