The debate on the subject of work-life balance has made headway thanks to the policy support of the EU and its Member States, who have been prompted to take action in view of the declining birth rates and the concerns triggered by the estimated demographic growth rate and the forecast lack of qualified manpower.

While it may manifest itself in different ways – according to each region or environment – the debate reflects the change in social models, in which the gainful employment of women and mothers and the participation of men and fathers in domestic tasks is taken for granted, in principle. We are also witnessing the testing and implementation of various models that set out to facilitate work-life balance, by paying for certain services for example.

In practice, the situation is however still characterised by traditional role models. For example, according to an EU report on the equality of men and women conducted in 2006, the number of women with young children in employment is 13.6% lower than that of childless women. On the other hand, when it comes to men in long-term relationships with small children, their employment rate is 10% higher than that of childless men. Furthermore, the report states that 32.6% of women work part time on average, compared with only 7.4% of men. It is interesting to note that, according to a survey carried out among 21,000 companies in 21 EU Member States, as a European average, fathers took parental leave in 30% of companies. In Germany, this was only the case in 14% of companies, compared with 39% of French companies.

Before entering into any far-reaching debate on balance, we should bear in mind that a social and participative Europe should also be concerned with the political and civic commitment of its citizens, as well as with the acquisition of knowledge and the nurturing of creative talents. Creating the necessary conditions for this also depends on finding the right balance. Which is why reconciliation must also apply to areas other than just work and family.

Balance must be considered from the perspective of the equality of the sexes and should therefore give more consideration to men and fathers as social actors.
Achieving work-life balance for women and men should be treated as a cultural and civic project and transposed as such.

Organisations and institutions within civil society as well as public and private companies, against which employment relations are played out, are of decisive importance for the creation of work-life balance.

Management, representative bodies and employees, the employees who are concerned and employees in their working and communication relationships – men and women alike – should take responsibility for it.

It is up to all those concerned to create an organisation culture in their workplace which makes it easier for the employees to achieve a work-life balance.

Balance is a matter for both sexes. The implementation of Gender Mainstreaming as a strategy to take into consideration the gender perspective in the development and planning of processes and measures within organisations makes it easier to achieve balance with due respect for both sexes. It is recommended that status quo analyses be drawn up on these premises and that target-setting agreements are concluded.

Balance is a matter that must be communicated within the company. The aim should be to provide regular and comprehensive information to all employees – men and women alike – about legal, tariff and corporate possibilities to facilitate balance and to organise discussions on the subject. After all it is only through a successful internal communication that balance for both genders can become part and parcel of the organisational culture.

Balance is a question of quality management and personnel development. The actors within a company, in particular management and the representative bodies, should launch pilot projects that bring about a cultural change within the organisations and companies. This includes the creation of individual rules, the conclusion of works agreements on better balance and the development of models to accommodate employees taking time off, parental leave or care leave. Furthermore, the participation in auditing procedures with the aim of obtaining quality labels or other certificates can lead to a change.

Balance is a matter of work organisation and time policy.
Work organisation and time policy have a key role to play when it comes to bringing about a work-life balance. Measures such as flexible working time, job sharing, telework and part time models should be planned and implemented with the employees in order to be able to take into consideration specific interests. It must be ensured that models do not lead to discrimination and disadvantages. A part time approach anchored in the organisation culture that also applies to male management is effective in overcoming obstacles and in promoting the participation of men and fathers as a whole.