Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1116643
10 OPINION maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 15 MAY 2019 Renee Laiviera is Commissioner for the Promotion of Equality "THE European Pillar of So- cial Rights is about improving the daily lives of Europeans. Today's provisional agreement makes this vision very concrete, giving families with working parents and carers a real choice on how to combine their work and family life." This is what the First Vice- President Frans Timmermans, Commissioners Marianne Thyssen and Vĕra Jourová said when the European Par- liament and the Council reached a provisional agree- ment on the proposal for the directive on work-life balance for parents and carers. This directive has been adopted. Over the past few decades, we have seen a change in so- ciety, including in the com- position of families and in the roles taken by family mem- bers including the increased participation of women in employment. In such a scenario work-life balance issues have become a necessity for workers to rec- oncile paid work and family responsibilities. As today is the International Day of the Family, the Nation- al Commission for the Promo- tion of Equality (NCPE) takes this opportunity to continue to raise awareness on the im- portance of work-life balance particularly through flex- ible working arrangements and family-friendly measures (FFMs) in the workplace as well as other support struc- tures such as care services. In addition breaking down stereotypes tied to traditional gender roles in relation to care is also key to enhance work- life balance for both women and men at the workplace whilst opening up opportuni- ties for all on an equal footing. Family-friendly measures facilitate the reconciliation of work and family life by fostering adequacy of family resources and child develop- ment, facilitating parental choice about work and care, and promoting gender equal- ity in employment opportuni- ties. Family-friendly measures are also beneficial to employers as they contribute to strengthen the loyalty of employees with reduced staff turnover, show increased employee effort, management efficiency, in- creased co-operation among workers and less sick leave take-up. These were the find- ings of the final report from NCPE's project Living Equal- ity. The new Directive on work- life balance for parents and carers, in line with the Euro- pean Pillar of Social Rights, introduces measures to facili- tate the reconciliation of work and family life for women and men. It proposes an introduction of paternity leave, as fathers will be entitled to take at least 10 working days of paternity leave around the time of birth of the child, compensated at least at the level of sick pay. It strengthens the exist- ing right to four months of paid parental leave, with two months that cannot be trans- ferred from one parent to an- other. This is an effective measure to highlight the importance of fathers in the sharing of family life particularly on the birth of a child. Also, it will give parents the right to request to take leave in a flexible way. For the first time it introduces five days carers' leave for workers pro- viding personal care or sup- port to relatives or persons living in the same household. These proposals will address the traditionally held view that only women can be the main carers in the family. In this context, NCPE car- ried out a set of initiatives to raise awareness on the impor- tance of men's role, on sharing family and domestic responsi- bilities and on the benefits of family-friendly measures in order to strive towards equal economic independence for women and men. During the Equality Beyond Gender Roles (EBGR) pro- ject's launch conference Min- ister Helena Dalli said "We need to move away from a society where it is generally accepted that family-friendly measures are for women and where men are often looked down upon when they ask, ac- cording to their rights, to fol- low suit." In fact, through the publica- tion of posters, NCPE gave vis- ibility to men who have made use of FFMs such as telework, parental leave and flexitime to take care of dependent family members. Moreover, Chapter 456 of the Laws of Malta, the Equal- ity for Men and Women Act, safeguards workers against discrimination due to family responsibilities. These provisions cover less favourable treatment at the workplace, experienced by workers, directly or indirectly, because of family responsi- bilities due to parenthood, or when caring for a dependent family member, or else for reasons of actual or potential pregnancy or childbirth. T herefore, parents and carers cannot be rejected for hire, passed over for promotion, demoted, harassed or have their employment terminated because of family responsibili- ties. Should such discrimination arise, NCPE may initiate in- vestigations on receipt of a complaint. The enjoyment of family-life is hardly possible without ad- equate work-life balance that caters for the needs of differ- ent family structures. Challenging stereotypical ideas on the roles of women and men in families, alongside the effective implementation of the work-life balance direc- tive are thus crucial. A real choice on work-life balance for working parents and carers is key for the full enjoyment of family-life for all families. As Timmermans, Tyssen and Jourová said "This is a huge step towards a more social Europe and shows the true spirit of the Pillar". Renee Laiviera Family responsibilities in relation to employment The enjoyment of family-life is hardly possible without adequate work-life balance that caters for the needs of different family structures