This spring, the European Parliament adopted a directive containing minimum requirements for maternity leave, parental leave and informal care leave. With the new rules, Europe wants to achieve a better balance between work and private life, increase the labor market participation of women and promote equal opportunities.

Based on the new rules, each European employee will be entitled to:

• 10 days of maternity leave immediately after the birth of his or her partner;
• a minimum of 4 months of parental leave, of which 2 months are paid;
• 5 days per year for care leave, intended for employees with sick family members who need care and support;flexible working, for working parents with children
• up to 8 years and all caregivers have the right to request flexible work arrangements.

The new rules still have to be formally approved by the European Council. After that, all 28 European member states must incorporate the rules into their national legislation within three years (by 2022 at the latest).