Work-life balance for parents and carers

The European Commission has presented a number of proposals to achieve gender equality with regard to opportunities in the labour market. One of these proposals is the Work-life Balance Directive, which aims to make it easier for employees who are parents or carers to reconcile work and family life. The Work-life Balance Directive will be implemented through legislative changes that come into force on 2 August 2022 and 1 October 2022.

The legislative changes mean, for example:

• New rules in Sweden’s Parental Leave Act, Care for Related Persons Act and Act on the Right to Absence for Urgent Family Reasons.

• Employees with children less than eight years old or who care for relatives may request flexible working for care purposes. Flexible working could, for example, entail working from home.

• The employee is not entitled to flexible working; rather, it depends on the needs of the business. As an employer, you need to justify your decision and provide a reply within a reasonable time. (Note that the employer does not have to prove significant disruption to the business to reject the application.)

• A ban is being introduced on disadvantaging employees who have requested/been granted flexible working.

• The equality ombudsman can pursue a claim for unfavourable treatment in this instance.

• The rules in Sweden’s Parental Leave Act and its Act on the Right to Absence for Urgent Family Reasons come into force on 2 August 2022.

• It is proposed that the rules in the Care for Related Persons Act come into force on 1 October 2022.

As a result of these changes, employers need to reply in writing to employees who request flexible working, and they must not disadvantage employees who have requested/been granted flexible working. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact Azets.