You're listening to the European Parliamentary Research Service podcast on new EU rules to improve work-life balance.

You should work less. You should work more. You should spend more time with the kids. You should give yourself some new time.

Ever had a feeling you just can't have it all? No one ever said finding the right

work-life balance was easy and this goes for both men and women. But new EU proposals in this

field could contribute to making it a lot easier for working parents or for those caring for

dependent sick relatives. Want to know what's in it for you. Stay with us.

Finding a suitable balance between work, family commitments and personal life is essential for our well-being. It also helps society move away from old patterns and role models as it increases

opportunities for women, helps to make labour markets more inclusive and also encourages men to play a more active role in the family.

Moreover, it promotes equal treatment of men and women and thereby fosters gender equality.

But as good as it may sound, the truth is, for many parents, work-life balance is still a far away dream.

The reality is that once they become mothers, women are far more likely to start working

part-time than their male counterparts.

And if somebody in the family falls sick, it's women who tend to look after them, which

translates into lower salaries, lower career prospects, and lower pensions in the end.

To address these and other related problems, the European Commission is determined to give

Europe back some of its social dimension.

But how?

Well, after years of failed attempts and heated debates, particularly around the extended

maternity leave directive in April 2017, the European Commission came up with a new

work-life balance package.

Containing both legislative and non-legislative initiatives, the new package is linked

to the European Pillar of Social Rights, a new European framework that aims to deliver

...