Activities of Marijana PETIR related to 2017/0085(COD)
Plenary speeches (1)
Work-life balance for parents and carers (debate) (debate) HR
Amendments (44)
Amendment 24 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) Equality between men and women is a fundamental principle of the Union. According to Article 3 of the Treaty on European Union the promotion of equality between women and men is one of the Union's aims and according to Article 8 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union equality between women and men should be promoted in all activities of the European Union. Similarly, Article 23 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union requires equality between women and men to be ensured in all areas, including employment, work and pay.
Amendment 28 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 3 a (new)
Recital 3 a (new)
(3a) Nothing in this Directive can be construed as affecting the exclusive competence of the Member States in defining the right to marry and right to found a family, in compliance with Article 9 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU.
Amendment 31 #
Proposal for a directive
Title 1
Title 1
Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on work-life balancereconciliation of family and professional for parents and carers and repealing Council Directive 2010/18/EU
Amendment 38 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) Article 33 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union provides for the right to protection from dismissal for a reason connected with maternity and the right to paid maternity leave and to parental leave following the birth or adoption of a child, to reconcile family and professional life. The right to work and to respect for family life, should be ensured also by EU law. Family- friendly working environments are crucially important. Furthermore, the well-being and best interests of children are one of the primary considerations in the development, monitoring and implementation of work-life balance policies.
Amendment 40 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) Work-life balance policies should contribute to the achievement of gender equality of access to work by promoting the participation of women in the labour market and the participation of men in childcare, making it easier for men to share caring responsibilities on an equal basis with women, and closing gender gaps in earnings, pay and payensions. Such policies should take into accountckle negative demographic changes including the effects of an ageing population.
Amendment 43 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 5 a (new)
Recital 5 a (new)
(5a) Work-life balance policies should also reflect the fact that a sufficient number of caring facilities for both children and dependent relatives are a key prerequisite of increased participation of women in the labour market. Further complementary action is required to assure a holistic work-life balance environment. To this end the Union should support Member States in striving to achieve the objectives set at the European Council in Barcelona for childcare facilities in March 2002, in introducing other voluntary instruments, including incentives for employers to provide care facilities for workers, and in removing economic disincentives for second earners which prevent women from accessing the labour market or working full-time. The Union should use the European semester to support such action of Member States with due regard to Member States’ commitments to strengthen public finances.
Amendment 52 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) Work-life balance policies should contribute to the achievement of gender equality between men and women by promoting the participation of women in the labour market, making it easier for men to share caring responsibilities on an equal basis with women, and closing gender gaps in earnings and pay between men and women. Such policies should take into account demographic changes including the effects of an ageing population.
Amendment 56 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) In line with the European Social Charter, the Additional Protocol thereto and the revised version thereof, in particular Part I, Part II, and Articles 2, 4, 16 and 27 of the latter, workers with family responsibilities should be granted equal opportunities and equal treatment, including right to workers’ rest time, which should take into account, where applicable, a common weekly day of rest recognised by tradition and custom in the country or region. Work-life balance remains however a considerable challenge for many parents and workers with caring responsibilities, with a negative impact on female employment. A major factor contributing to the underrepresentation of women in the labour market is the difficulty of balancing work and family obligations. When they have children, women tend to work less hours in paid employment and spend more time fulfilling unpaid care responsibilities. Having an ill or dependent relative has also been shown to have a negative impact on female employment, leading some women to drop out of the labour market entirely. Moreover, working hours are more often extended until late in the evening, workers are faced with night work, work on public holidays and Sundays without break and rest periods, which makes it difficult for workers to reconcile work with duties towards children and dependents.
Amendment 59 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) At Union level, several Directives in the fields of gender equality between men and women and working conditions already address certain issues that are relevant for work-life balance, in particular Directive 2006/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council16, Directive 2010/41/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council17, Council Directive 92/85/EEC18, Council Directive 97/81/EC19 and Council Directive 2010/18/EU20. __________________ 16 Directive 2006/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 on the implementation of the principle of equal opportunities and equal treatment of men and women in matters of employment and occupation (OJ L 204, 26.7.2006, p. 23). 17 Directive 2010/41/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 July 2010 on the application of the principle of equal treatment between men and women engaged in an activity in a self-employed capacity and repealing Council Directive 86/613/EEC (OJ L 180, 15.7.2010, p. 1). 18 Council Directive 92/85/EEC of 19 October 1992 on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health at work of pregnant workers and workers who have recently given birth or are breastfeeding (tenth individual Directive within the meaning of Article 16 (1) of Directive 89/391/EEC) (OJ L 348, 28.11.1992, p. 1). 19 Council Directive 97/81/EC of 15 December 1997 concerning the Framework Agreement on part-time work concluded by UNICE, CEEP and the ETUC - Annex: Framework agreement on part-time work (OJ L 14, 20.1.1998, p. 9). 20 Council Directive 2010/18/EU, of 8 March 2010, implementing the revised Framework Agreement on parental leave concluded by BUSINESSEUROPE, UEAPME, CEEP and ETUC and repealing Directive 96/34/EC (OJ L 68, of 18.03.2010, p. 13).
Amendment 67 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) The current Union legal framework provides limited incentives for men to assume an equal share of caring responsibilities. Lack of paid paternity and parental leave in many Member States contributes to the low take-up of such leave by fathers. The imbalance in the design of work-life balance policies between women and men reinforces gender differences between women and men across work and care. Conversely, use of work-life balance arrangements by fathers, such as leave or flexible working arrangements, has been shown to have a positive impact in reducing the relative amount of unpaid family work undertaken by women and leaving them more time for paid employment. The Directive fully respects the freedom and preferences of individuals and families to organise their lives and does not impose on them any obligation to use the benefit of its provisions.
Amendment 71 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) Work-life balancReconciliation of family and professional life remains however a considerable challenge for many parents and workers with caring responsibilities, with a negative impact on female employment. A major factor contributing to the underrepresentation of women in the labour market is the difficulty of balancing work and family obligationfamily and work responsibilities. When they have children, women tend to work less hours in paid employment and spend more time fulfilling unpaid care responsibilities. Having an ill or dependent relative has also been shown to have a negative impact on female employment, leading some women to drop out of the labour market entirely.
Amendment 84 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) The current Union legal framework provides limited incentives for men to assume an equal share of caring responsibilities. Lack of paid paternity and parental leave in many Member States contributes to the low take-up of such leave by fathers. The imbalance in the design of work-life balance policies between women and men reinforces gender differences between work and caredisproportional distribution of care responsibilities between parents. Conversely, use of work- life balance arrangements by fathers, such as leave or flexible working arrangements, has been shown to have a positive impact in reducing the relative amount of unpaid family work undertaken by women and leaving them more time for paid employment.
Amendment 96 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) The Commission has undertaken a two-stage consultation with the social partners on the challenges related to work- life balancreconciliation of family and professional life, in line with Article 154 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. There was no agreement among social partners to enter into negotiations on those matters, including on the parental leave. It is however important to take action in this area by modernising and adapting the current legal framework, taking into account the outcome of those consultations, as well as of the open public consultation carried out to seek the views of various stakeholders and citizens.
Amendment 108 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) In order to encourage a more equal sharing of caring responsibilities between women and men, the right to paternity leave for fathers to be taken on the occasion of the birth of a child should be introduced. In order to take account of differences among Member States, the right to paternity leave should be irrespective of marital or family status as defined in national law.
Amendment 111 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) This Directive should apply to all workers who have employment contracts or other employment relationships. As is currently the case under Clause 2(3) of the Annex to Directive 2010/18/EU, this should include contracts relating to employment or employment relationships of part-time workers, fixed-term contract workers or persons with a contract of employment or employment relationship with a temporary agency. The Union should encourage Member States to extend the enjoyment of the rights set forth by this Directive to the self-employed through national legislative measures. This should especially apply in regard to the self-employed who contribute with their earnings to coverage schemes that finance compensation for the leaves. Member States should be encouraged to develop systems which would enable the self-employed to contribute to such coverage schemes.
Amendment 120 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) As the majority of fathers do not avail themselves of their right to parental leave or transfer a considerable proportion of their leave entitlement to mothers, in order to encourage the second parent to take parental leave, this Directive, while maintaining the right of each parent to at least four months of parental leave currently provided for by Directive 2010/18/EU, extends from one to four months the period of parental leave which cannot be transferredintroduces the possibility of at least two additional months of parental leaves for couples that share at least half of the respective entitlements granted to them by national law. In compliance with the principle of subsidiarity, and in view of ensuring respect for the right to respect for family life, Member States should create the conditions for the members of the couple to have the highest possible degree of choice in deciding on the eventual transfer of portions of parental leave from one parent to the other.
Amendment 129 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) As the majority of fathers do not avail themselves of their right to parental leave or transfer a considerable proportion of their leave entitlement to mothers, in order to encourage the second parent to take parental leave, this Directive, while maintaining the right of each parent to at least four months of parental leave currently provided for by Directive 2010/18/EU, extends from one to four months introduces an alternative for Member States to the current one monthe period of parental leave which cannot be transferred from one parent to the other. The alternative shall consist in granting an additional two months leave to parents who share at least half of the total parental leave period granted to them by national law, which should motivate parents in sharing caring responsibilities, while maintaining reasonable flexibility of specific family arrangements.
Amendment 138 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) In order to provide greater possibility for parents to use parental leave as their children grow up, the right to parental leave should be granted until the child is at least twelveeight years old. Member States should be able to specify the period of notice to be given by the worker to the employer when applying for parental leave and to decide whether the right to parental leave may be subject to a certain period of service. In view of the growing diversity of contractual arrangements, the sum of successive fixed-term contracts with the same employer should be taken into account for the purpose of calculating the period of service. To balance the needs of workers with those of employers, Member States should also be able to decide whether they define if the employer may be allowed to postpone the granting of parental leave under certain circumstances. In such cases, the employer should provide justification for the postponement. Given that flexibility makes it more likely that second parents, in particular fathers,Workers should also have the possibility to return to work earlier than the intended and reported period of parental leave, especially if the reason of the premature return does not depend on the will of the worker and if earlier return is not excessively burdensome for the employer. Given that flexibility makes it more likely that both parents will take up their entitlement to such leave, workers should be able to request to take parental leave on a full-time or part-time basis or in other flexible forms. It should be up to the employer whether or not to accept such a request for parental leave in other flexible forms than full-time. Member States should also assess if the conditions and detailed arrangements of parental leave should be adapted to the specific needs of parents in particularly disadvantaged situations, especially parents having a disability and parents with children with a disability or long-term illness requiring more care.
Amendment 138 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) In order to provide greater possibility for parents to use parental leave as their children grow up, the right to parental leave should be granted until the child is at least twelve years old. Member States should be able to specify the period of notice to be given by the worker to the employer when applying for parental leave and to decide whether the right to parental leave may be subject to a certain period of service. In view of the growing diversity of contractual arrangements, the sum of successive fixed-term contracts with the same employer should be taken into account for the purpose of calculating the period of service. To balance the needs of workers with those of employers, Member States should also be able to decide whether they define if the employer may be allowed to postpone the granting of parental leave under certain circumstances. In such cases, the employer should provide justification for the postponement. Given that flexibility makes it more likely that second parents, in particular fathers, will take up their entitlement to such leave, workers should be able to request to take parental leave on a full-time or part-time basis or in other flexible forms. It should be up to the employer whether or not to accept such a request for parental leave in other flexible forms than full-time. Member States should also assess if the conditions and detailed arrangements of parental leave should be adapted to the specific needs of parents in particularly disadvantaged situations.
Amendment 141 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 15 a (new)
Recital 15 a (new)
(15a) Against the background of an ageing society and the EU-wide trend towards an increasing retirement age, grandparents can help parents to cope with the twin challenges of a professional career and child caring. The help of early semi-retirement schemes can provide a smooth transition from family- professional life to retirement. The EU should therefore be encouraged to allow Member States to provide for the possibility to transfer the parental leave entitlement to their parent as well as to their grandparents.
Amendment 160 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) In order to facilitate the return to work following parental leave, workers and employers should be encouraged to voluntarily maintain contact during the period of leave and may make arrangements for any appropriate reintegration measures, to be decided between the parties concerned, taking into account national law, collective agreements and practice. Workers who do not wish to maintain contact should not be discriminated against in any way. It should be made clear that employees who do not wish to maintain contact should not be obliged to do so.
Amendment 184 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 22
Recital 22
(22) Leave arrangements are intended to support working parents and carers during a specific period of time, and are aimed at maintaining and promoting their continued attachment to the labour market. It is therefore appropriate to make express provision for the protection of the employment rights of workers taking leave covered by this Directive and in particular their right to return to the same or an equivalent post, and not to suffer any detriment in their terms and conditions as a result of their absence. Workers should retain their entitlement to relevant rights already acquired, or in the process of being acquired, until the end of such leave. Equally important is the goal of leave arrangements to ensure that working parents maintain quality of family life, by taking care of their children, carrying out their responsibilities, including their primary educational role, in the best possible way and by spending quality time with their children. An ineffective reconciliation of family and professional life can also have a negative impact on the physical and mental health of parents.
Amendment 192 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 19
Recital 19
(19) To increase the incentives for workers with children and caring responsibilities, men in particular, to take the periods of leave provided for in this Directive, they should have the right to an adequate allowance while on leave. The level of the allowance should be at least equivalent to what the worker concerned would receive in case of sick leave60 % of the worker’s gross wage in case of parental leave and carer’s leave. In case of paternal leave, the level of allowance should be at least equivalent to what the worker concerned would receive in case of sick leave, as applies to the maternal leave allowance prior to Council Directive 92/85/EEC of 19 October1992 on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health at work of pregnant workers and workers who have recently given birth or are breastfeeding. Member States should take into account the importance of the continuity of the entitlements to social security, including healthcare.
Amendment 215 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 22
Recital 22
(22) Leave arrangements are intended to support working parents and carers during a specific period of time, and are aimed at maintaining and promoting their continued attachment to the labour market. It is therefore appropriate to make express provision for the protection of the employment rights of workers taking leave covered by this Directive and in particular their right to return to the same or an equivalent post, and not to suffer any detriment in their terms and conditions as a result of their absence. Workers should retain their entitlement to relevant rights already acquired, or in the process of being acquired, until the end of such leave. Equally important is the goal of leave arrangements to ensure that working parents maintain quality of family life, by taking care of their children, carrying out their responsibilities, including their primary educational role, especially during early childhood, in the best possible way and by spending quality time with their children. An ineffective reconciliation of family and professional life can also have a negative impact on the physical and mental health of children and parents.
Amendment 253 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) “carer” means a worker providing personal care or support in case of a serious illness or dependency of a relative; , or, in accordance with national law, a worker not directly belonging to the family who provides such care on a non- profit basis, upon written request of the person being cared for;
Amendment 258 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 30
Recital 30
(30) This Directive should avoid imposing administrative, financial and legal constraints in a way which would hold back the creation and development of small and medium-sized undertakings. Member States are therefore invited to assess the impact of their transposition act on SMEs in order to make sure that SMEs are not disproportionately affected, with specific attention for micro-enterprises and for administrative burden. Member states may choose to reduce the administrative burden for SMEs and micro-enterprises, without significantly diminishing the rights of workers of SMEs and micro- enterprises established by this Directive, and essentially maintaining an equality of treatment of workers of such enterprises and of workers of other enterprises.
Amendment 268 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point d
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) “relative” means a worker’s son, daughter, mother, father, step-child, foster child, mother, father, including adoptive ones, as well as step-father, -mother, siblings, grandparents and grandchildren, spouse or partner in civil partnership, where such partnerships are envisaged by national law;
Amendment 304 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 2
Article 4 – paragraph 2
Amendment 311 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 5 – paragraph 1
Article 5 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that workers have an individual right to parental leave of at least four months to be taken before the child reaches a given age which shall be at least twelve. Member States shall assess the possibility of broadening the relevant provisions, so as to allow the parents to transfer their parental leave entitlement to the grandparents.
Amendment 328 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 5 – paragraph 2
Article 5 – paragraph 2
2. Where Member States allow one parent to transfer their parental leave entitlement to the other parent, they shall ensure that at least fourprovide at least two additional months of paid parental leave cannot be transferredto couples that share at least half of the respective entitlements granted to them by national law.
Amendment 332 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 5 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Single parents shall have access to at least the same level of rights and protection ensured to parents under this Directive and may benefit from specific provisions, in accordance with national law, considering their specific vulnerability.
Amendment 336 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point d
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) "relative" means a worker's son, daughter, mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, spouse or partner in civil partnership, where such partnerships are envisaged by national law, and relative of the worker’s spouse;
Amendment 369 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 1
Article 4 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that fathers have the right to take paid paternity leave of at least ten working days on the occasion of the birth of a child. Member States shall impose a proportional time frame following the birth of a child within which the paternity leave must be exhausted. Such time frame shall not be less than 6 weeks following the birth of a child.
Amendment 384 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Member States shall consider introducing the possibility of fathers to take additional unpaid paternity leave provided that this is not excessively burdensome for the employer.
Amendment 396 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 9 – paragraph 1
Article 9 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that workers with children or grandchildren up to a given age, which shall be at least twelve, and carers, have the right to request flexible working arrangements for caring purposes. The duration of such flexible working arrangements may be subject to a reasonable limitation.
Amendment 407 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 5 – paragraph 1
Article 5 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that workers have an individual right to parental leave of at least four months to be taken before the child reaches a given age which shall be at least twelveeight.
Amendment 417 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 5 – paragraph 2
Article 5 – paragraph 2
2. Where Member States allow one parent to transfer their parental leave entitlement to the other parent, they shall ensure that at least fourone months of parental leave cannot be transferred, or, alternatively, provide an additional two months leave to parents who share at least half of the total parental leave period granted to them by national law.
Amendment 441 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 5 – paragraph 5
Article 5 – paragraph 5
5. Member States may define the circumstances in which an employer, following consultation in accordance with national law, collective agreements and/or practice, may be allowed to postpone the granting of parental leave by a reasonable period of time on the grounds that it would seriously disrupt the good functioning of the establishment. Employers shall justify any postponement of parental leave in writing. In case of justified postponement of parental leave, the employer shall, where possible, offer flexible forms of parental leave pursuant to paragraph 6 of this Article.
Amendment 457 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 17 a (new)
Article 17 a (new)
Article 17a Dialogue with relevant stakeholders With a view to promoting the objectives of this Directive, the European Union and its Member States shall encourage dialogue with relevant stakeholders, in particular with parents and family associations.
Amendment 517 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 8 – paragraph 1
Article 8 – paragraph 1
In accordance with national circumstances, such as national law, collective agreements and/or practice, and taking into account the powers delegated to social partners, Member States shall ensure that workers exercising the rights to leave referred to in Article 4, 5 or 6 will receive a payment or an adequate allowance at least equivalent to what the worker concerned would receive in case of sick leavthe following payment or adequate allowance: a) for the minimum period of paternity leave as referred to in Article 4(1), a payment or adequate allowance at least equivalent to what the worker concerned would receive in case of sick leave b) for the minimum period of parental leave as referred to in Article 5(1) and carers´ leave as referred to in Article 6, a payment or allowance which shall represent at least 60% of the worker´s gross wage.
Amendment 560 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 9 – paragraph 2
Article 9 – paragraph 2
2. Employers shall consider and respond to requests for flexible working arrangements referred to in paragraph 1, taking into account the needs of both employers and workers. Employers shall justify any refusal of such a request in writing.
Amendment 576 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 10 – paragraph 2
Article 10 – paragraph 2
2. Member States shall ensure that, at the end of leave referred to in Article 4, 5 or 6, workers are entitled to return to their jobs or to obtain equivalent posts on terms and conditions which are no less favourable to them and which correspond to the employment contract, and to benefit from any improvement in working conditions to which they would have been entitled during their absence.
Amendment 638 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 16 – paragraph 1
Article 16 – paragraph 1
Member States may introduce or maintain provisions that are more favourable to workers than those laid down in this Directive, provided that such provisions are not excessively burdensome for employers, especially small and middle sized enterprises. They shall however ensure that at least fourone months of parental leave remains non-transferable in accordance with Article 5(2).
Amendment 651 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 17 a (new)
Article 17 a (new)
Article 17 a Dialogue with relevant stakeholders With a view to promoting the objectives of this Directive, the European Union and its Member States shall encourage dialogue with relevant stakeholders, in particular with parents and family associations, employers and trade unions.