According to EU Directive (COM/2017/0253 final – 2017/085 (COD) adopted on 21th June 2018 the Work-Life Balance for Parents and Carrier, became a first legislative in the context of European Pillar of Social Rights. The 5 th session of WG 2- Social Policy and Employment, of NKEU-MK, will stress some of questions related to general objectives of this Directive:
- Boosting the take-up of family-related leave by men, which will help increase female labour market participation. Creating conditions for achieving equal opportunities for men and women and reducing the gender gap in the implementation of family responsibilities. The working ambience, as well as the family environment, still supports the traditional division of family roles. Women, as show statistical data, is pre – arranged with their family responsibilities for a long time, while working hours are significantly shortened.
- Government to provide financial support for the implementation of the Law on Prevention and Fighting Discrimination (reduction of the gender pay gap, elimination of the political principles for building a career – especially).
- Flexibility of the work process, adjustment of work duties according to individual or family dynamics.
- Control and regulation of working hours and the introduction of "healthy working hours and prevention of long-term working hours and night work, the European Union Working Time Directive (93/104 / EC). Preventing unsocial working hours (night shifts, weekend work). In Macedonia, already 2015-2018 a National decent work program is within the framework of the ILO guidelines. Affirmation of the practice to reducing the legal working hours (Recommendation for reducing working hours (P116: ILO) ILO Convention on Workers with Family Responsibilities, 1981 (No. 156).
- Reducing the Informal Employment (Strategy for Formalization of the Informal Economy in the Republic of Macedonia, 2018-2022) Law on Prohibition and Prevention of Unregistered Activity, 2014. An important issue here is how to establish control by the inspection bodies. It would be good to share certain European practices.
- Apart from strengthening the role of institutions, especially the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, the issue of new institutions (which may exist in the EU) may also be asked to effectively regulate this matter.
- Preparations for the use of the European Social Fund – strengthening the capacities for effective use of these funds.