Reform and evaluate current parental leave to ensure the objective of co-responsibility

Abstract

The full implementation of a new design of paid parental leave in 2021 has made Spain the first country in Europe and the world to have individual parental
leave paid at 100%, non-transferable and equal for men and women. However, the obligation of simultaneous use of more than a third of the leave and the lack of guarantee of full-time use at the worker’s will are problems in the design of the law, which favour a simultaneous use of the leave, showing gender and class biases. Transposing elements of flexibility and guarantee of labour rights from the European Work-Life Balance Directive is a priority. This would allow for co-responsible use of leave (long periods of men caring while women return to the labour market). Once the design biases are removed, parental leave can be extended at a later date, reaping the benefits of fully transposing the European Directive.