"Work-life balance has been a central theme of the EU gender equality framework and has been promoted through both ‘hard' and ‘soft' components. Although the EU concern in promoting work-life balance has been more to increase employment and economic productivity than to promote gender equality, all Member States have now established standards in accordance with the EU regulations. Statutory leave arrangements are a key component of work-life balance policies and they vary significantly across Member States with different welfare regime traditions. This study examines the transposition of EU Directives and the implications of the European Employment Strategy for leave arrangements across the UK, Denmark, France and Spain as exemplars of four welfare regimes."

Support: Paper