En bedre balanse mellom arbeids- og privatliv
Meddelelse fra Kommisjonen til Europaparlamentet, Rådet, Det europeiske økonomiske og sosiale utvalg og Regionskomiteen: En bedre balanse mellom arbeids- og privatliv:større muligheter for å kombinere yrkesarbeid med privat- og familieliv
Meddelelse fra Kommisjonen lagt fram 3.10.2008
Bakgrunn
Bakgrunn (fra kommisjonsmeddelelsen, engelsk utgave)
The choices which men and women make in combining the professional, private and family aspects of their lives are primarily personal. Nonetheless, the way in which individuals balance these competing demands has consequences for public policy, for example by influencing labour-market participation and fertility rates. At the same time, public policy in turn influences these choices, for instance by establishing legal rights to family-related leave and public provision of care for children and other dependants or by affecting other factors, such as the opening hours of shops and the length of the school day. Although the focus has tended to be on supporting the reconciliation choices of those who are — or wish to be — employed by others, these issues are equally relevant to the self-employed.
Strategies to support the above-mentioned reconciliation choices build on a range of components and require the commitment of various players. Childcare facilities, leave entitlement and flexible working time arrangements are core components of the policy mix, while the powers are spread between European, national and local levels and between social partners at European, national and sectoral levels.
The European Union’s role in this area is relatively limited, but the success of reconciliation policies affects achievement of major EU goals, in particular more and better jobs. This Communication therefore reviews the current situation and sets out the steps being taken to develop the legislative framework, including the proposals which accompany this Communication.
The choices which men and women make in combining the professional, private and family aspects of their lives are primarily personal. Nonetheless, the way in which individuals balance these competing demands has consequences for public policy, for example by influencing labour-market participation and fertility rates. At the same time, public policy in turn influences these choices, for instance by establishing legal rights to family-related leave and public provision of care for children and other dependants or by affecting other factors, such as the opening hours of shops and the length of the school day. Although the focus has tended to be on supporting the reconciliation choices of those who are — or wish to be — employed by others, these issues are equally relevant to the self-employed.
Strategies to support the above-mentioned reconciliation choices build on a range of components and require the commitment of various players. Childcare facilities, leave entitlement and flexible working time arrangements are core components of the policy mix, while the powers are spread between European, national and local levels and between social partners at European, national and sectoral levels.
The European Union’s role in this area is relatively limited, but the success of reconciliation policies affects achievement of major EU goals, in particular more and better jobs. This Communication therefore reviews the current situation and sets out the steps being taken to develop the legislative framework, including the proposals which accompany this Communication.