Reconciling Work And Family Life In Eu Law And Policy

Since its timid introduction onto the EC agenda in 1974, reconciliation of work and family life has developed into a fully-articulated principle. This book explores this journey and its implications for the EC legal order and society. It argues that as reconciliation issues continue to evolve they require constant reassessment.

Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- Notes on contributors -- Abbreviations -- Introduction -- PART I The right to family life in Europe -- 1 European Convention on Human Rights and family life. Primary issues -- 2 The scope of application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights -- 3 The right to family life in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights -- 4 Mutual recognition of judicial decisions and the right to family life -- PART II Towards a broader understanding of the family -- 5 The European courts and transsexuals. The binary distinction and the pattern of family -- 6 Right to family life and access to medically assisted procreation in the case law of the European Court of Human Rights -- 7 Biology-based systems of parentage and safety valves protecting social parenting -- PART III The right to family life in immigration law -- 8 Family reunification: a tool to shape the concept of EU citizenship -- 9 The right to family life as a bar to the expulsion of third country nationals in the European Union -- 10 When there is no family: unaccompanied minors in the EU -- 11 The protection of family life in the EU common policy on asylum -- PART IV Social rights and family life -- 12 Moving patients and families and the social right to cross-border healthcare -- 13 The right to housing and the protection of family life and vulnerable groups: European judicial activism -- 14 Unjoined-up policy making and patchy promotion of gender equality: free movement and reconciliation of work and family life in the EU -- Index

Comprises ten papers on the harmonization of work with the needs of family life in Europe. Highlights the concept of family-friendly workplaces and considers strategies to make companies more responsive to the needs of families.

This book explores the emerging engagement of EU law with care and carers. The book argues that the regulation of care by the EU is crucial because it enables the development of a broad range of policies. It contributes to the sustainability of society and ultimately it enables individuals to flourish. Yet, to date, the EU approach to regulating the caring relationship remains piecemeal and lacks the underpinning of a cohesive strategy. Against this backdrop, this book argues that the EU can and must take leadership in this area by setting principles and standards in accordance with the values of the treaty, in particular gender equality, human dignity, solidarity and well-being. The book further makes a case for a stronger protection for carers, who should not only be protected against discrimination, but should also be supported, valued and put in a position to make choices and lead full lives. In order to achieve this, a proactive approach to rebalancing the relationship between paid and unpaid work is necessary. Ultimately, the book puts forward a series of legal and policy recommendations for a holistic approach to care in the EU.

Work is a source of income, professional satisfaction and social contact. However, work is not always easy to combine with family life and other private activities, especially for parents. Reconciling both demands is an important issue for many citizens in the European Union. This publication looks at various aspects of the issue of reconciliation of work with family life. It features discussions of the data sources used and gives an overview of the differences in the relevant legal arrangements in the Member States. The report starts with a description of the labour market situation, including developments in part-time work, fixed-term contracts and household composition. The following chapters cover working hours with special attention to unpaid family work, childcare and other care services, maternity and parental leave and flexibility in working time arrangements, including atypical working times such as working at night or at the weekend.

Exploring the main developments and challenges for the right to family life in the context of European integration, this book examines the right to family life in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the interplay between family life, citizenship, and free movement; it analyzes the combined impact of the EU and the European Convention on Human Rights on the concept of the family protected by the law in light of recent case law. Considering the broadening understanding of what constitutes family, the challenges for the right to family life in the context of immigration, and the protection of families and social rights it provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of family life in the European Union.