Abstract:

Following the adoption of Directive (EU) 2019/1158 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the work-life balance of parents and carers, EU countries have begun to reform parental leave. This directive is based on the Swedish model, which should provide mothers and fathers with more equal division of parental leave to care for the child and at the same time give them an equal footing in the upbringing of the child. The authors analyze the Swedish model of parental leave, as well as the impact of the newly adopted directive on the legal systems of the Kingdom of Sweden, the Kingdom of Denmark, and the Slovak Republic. They question whether the Slovak Republic, as a former country of the Eastern bloc, is approaching Western models by the measures adopted, or on the contrary, the measures adopted do not meet the needs of practice or European standards.