How laws and policies promoting parental leave, change behavior and advance gender equality
Three and a half years since the implementation of the EU Work–Life Balance Directive, data collected by experts from the European Equality Law Network reveals a clear pattern across Europe: when leave is well paid and reserved for fathers/second partners on a non-transferable basis, they are more likely to take it. It shows how laws and policies for parental leave change behavior and advance gender equality at home and at work.
Parental leave is often seen as a family policy. In reality, it is a powerful lever for gender equality. When fathers take leave, father–child bonds strengthen, children thrive, and mothers remain more connected to the labor market. Shared caregiving also promotes more balanced households. When caregiving breaks fall mainly on women, the consequences accumulate: wider gender pay and pension gaps, fewer promotion opportunities, and persistent inequalities at home.
Three and a half years after the implementation of the EU Work–Life Balance Directive, research suggests that policy design matters. Data collected by experts from the European Equality Law Network—including several researchers from Utrecht University—reveals a clear pattern across Europe: when leave is well paid and reserved for fathers/second partners on a non-transferable basis, they are more likely to take it.
The impact is already visible. In Finland, fathers’ uptake of independent parental leave has more than doubled to 73 percent. In Poland, it rose from 1 percent to 17 percent in just two years. In Spain, the gap between mothers’ and second parents’ leave has shrunk from ninety days to just three.
“Use-it-or-lose-it” leave reserved for fathers and paid at meaningful wage-replacement levels significantly increases parental/paternity uptake. Yet barriers remain. Low payment rates in some countries discourage primary earners from taking leave, while workplace cultures and persistent gender norms continue to shape decisions.
The lesson is clear: when designed well, parental leave laws and policies change behavior—and advance gender equality at home and at work.
About the European Equality Law Network
Over the past 20 years, Utrecht University has successfully managed the gender equality strand of the European Equality Law Network, one of the largest projects undertaken by Utrecht Law School.
The current coordination team includes Linda Senden, Franka van Hoof, Alexandra Timmer, Birte Böök and Luana Almeida. The Network brings together legal experts from 41 European states, who collect independent, expert information on legislation, case law, and national developments. This work supports the European Commission in its role as guardian of the treaties, helping it respond to new challenges and set agendas for law- and policy-making in the areas of gender equality and non-discrimination.
For more information about the Network and its publications, please visit: