Work, social security, care and gender

Various researchers focus on topics relating to law and labour, care, gender, and family, including the elderly and law. These issues are of great importance in a changing, digitalising society that is rapidly aging. This brings with it new legal issues, for example the increasing role of municipalities with regard to (informal) care facilities. 

Does this policy create a more balanced distribution of work and care between men and women? Long-term and intense informal caregiving often has a major impact upon families: what does this mean for the rights of employees, for collective agreements and employers? What are the consequences of the increased flexibility of work relationships for care responsibilities at home, including the emerging platformisation of work? These types of questions are the main focus of the research undertaken by Susanne Heeger-Hertter. With this, she participates in the Future of Work Hub.

Femke de Kievit has conducted PhD research on the legal aspects of intergenerational caregiving between family members (family care). This research is focused on the presently unclear position on the rights and duties of the family in the care for their parents(-in-law). Which responsibilities does the law attribute to families in this context? And how can a family itself organise care?

The Stride-research into the protection and empowerment of the elderly also holds an important place. This multidisciplinary NWA-ORC consortium conducts research into the current system of legal support and protection measures: guardianship, mentorship and the living will. Does this system meet the requirements set by human rights treaties? Does it sufficiently take into account the wishes and expectations of older people? Researchers from various disciplines from Utrecht University, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Rijksuniversiteit Groningen will work together with social partners for six years on solutions to various problems in Dutch law. As a PhD candidate, Fiore Schuthof studies legal support and protective measures by countries in Europe from a comparative law and human rights perspective. Postdoc Femke de Kievit focuses on empirical, legal-dogmatic issues of ex lege measures of representation. Wendy Schrama is a member of the management team and conducts research into ex lege measures.

Wendy Schrama is also interested in the issues of aging and the law. She participates as an expert in the large-scale comparative project FL-EUR, which involves a new European network of family law specialists from 28 countries and concerns the empowerment and the protection of vulnerable adults.