Jourová's Road Map for Women Employment – New Headache for Employers?

Jourová’s Road Map for Women Employment – New Headache for Employers?

The negotiation on the so-called maternity directive failed to unblock in the Council and the last attempt of the S&D group in the European Parliament to re-launch the negotiations did not work either. For this reason, the directive was withdrawn from the legislative process within the REFIT programme 2014.

This decision was welcomed by Czech employers. In their position papers, they have always been stressing the necessity to analyze the existing systems in the Member States and study all related financial and non-financial impacts. Any possible change must be considered in relation to the existing measures and the impact it would bring into national legislations must be assessed.

The Commissioner Věra Jourová is now coming up with a comprehensive proposal in a form of a Road Map that reacts to the challenges in the field of combining work and family life for working parents. In principle, it goes for a greater involvement of women in the workflow and men into family and childcare. The Road Map is based on existing legislative framework and its aim is to create a comprehensive framework covering both legislative and non-legislative proposals.

Articles 157(3) and 153(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union should serve as the legal basis. In accordance with the article 155, this will also allow for social dialogue at EU level. The Road Map also deals with the issue of subsidiarity and its reason for EU action is justified by the risk of fragmented approach of the EU Member States, which led in the past to the limited economic and social convergence in the Single Market. The Commission also mentions the impact of the proposals on employers, particularly on small and medium-sized enterprises, which should be minimized. On the other hand, the Commission calls on businesses to take note of the benefits that the proposals might bring. This will be mainly translated in the reduction of absence from work, increase of productivity and greater availability and use of qualified workforce.

The Road Map is an open document and for the moment, it comes up with the alternatives to various legislative and non-legislative solutions. Employers are analyzing the proposal. In principle, they agree with the comprehensive approach to promote the development of knowledge and economic potential of women. A woman who gets a job opportunity and a salary corresponding to her qualifications sees the possibility for a career progress. If she can put her children in crèche, she gets the confidence to seek for a higher-level job position or for a membership in company statutory bodies.

That is the way supported by the employers rather than rigid regulations. Therefore, we call on the Commission to respect the principle of proportionality and the variety of differences in measures applied in each Member State when formulating the final draft.

Vladimíra Drbalová
Confederation of Industry Czech Republic