sou · H8B381 · 2020-12-15 00:00:00 — (37)Notwithstanding the requirement to assess whether the conditions of access to and the detailed arrangements for parental leave should be adapted to the specific needs of parents in particularly disadvantaged situations, Member States are encouraged to assess whether conditions for access to, and the detailed arrangements for, exercising the right to paternity leave, carers' leave and flexible working arrangements should be adapted to particular needs, such as of those of single parents, adoptive parents, parents with a disability, parents of children with a disability or a long-term illness, or parents in particular circumstances, such as those related to multiple births and premature births. (38)Leave arrangements are intended to support workers who are parents, and carers during a specific period of time, and aim to maintain and promote the workers' continued attachment to the labour market. It is therefore appropriate to make express provision for the protection of the employment rights of workers who take the types of leave covered by this Directive. In particular, this Directive protects the right of workers to return to the same or to an an equivalent post after taking such leave and the right not to be subject to any detriment in the terms and conditions of their contract of employment or employment relationship as a result of taking such leave. Workers should retain their entitlement to relevant rights that are already acquired, or that are in the process of being acquired, until the end of such leave. (9) Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 of Parliament and of the Council of on the coordination of social security systems (OJ L 166, 30.4.2004, p. (10) Regulation (EU) No 1231/2010 of Parliament and of the Council of extending Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 and Regulation (EC) No 987/2009 to nationals of third countries who are not already covered by these Regulations solely on the ground of their nationality (OJ L 344, 29.12.2010, p. (11) Council Regulation (EC) No 859/2003 of 14 2003 extending the provisions of Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 and Regulation (EEC) No 574/72 to nationals of third countries who are not already covered by those provisions solely on the ground of their nationality (OJ L 124, 20.5.2003, p. L 188/84 (39)As provided for in Directive 2010/18/EU, Member States are required to define the status of the employment contract or employment relationship for the period of parental leave. According to the case-law of the Court of , the employment relationship between the worker and the employer is maintained during the period of leave and, as a result, the beneficiary of such leave remains, during that period, a worker for the purposes of Union law. When defining the status of the employment contract or employment relationship during the period of the types of leave covered by this Directive, including with regard to the entitlement to social security, the Member States should therefore ensure that the employment relationship is maintained. (40)Workers who exercise their right to take leave or to request flexible working arrangements as provided for in this Directive should be protected against discrimination or any less favourable treatment on that ground. (41)Workers who exercise their right to take leave or to request flexible working arrangements as provided for in this Directive should enjoy protection from dismissal and any preparatory steps for a possible dismissal on the grounds that they have applied for, or have taken, such leave or that they have exercised their right to request such flexible working arrangements in accordance with the case law of the Court of , including its judgment in Case C-460/06 (12). Workers who consider that they have been dismissed on the basis that they have exercised such rights should be able to ask the employer to provide duly substantiated grounds for the dismissal. Where a worker has applied for, or has taken, paternity leave, parental leave or carers' leave as referred to in this Directive, the employer should provide the grounds for dismissal in writing. (42)The burden of proving that there has been no dismissal on the grounds that workers have applied for, or have taken, paternity leave, parental leave or carers' leave as referred to in this Directive should be on the employer where a worker has established, before a court or another competent authority, facts capable of giving rise to a presumption that the worker has been dismissed on such grounds. (43)Member States should provide for effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties in the event of infringements of national provisions adopted pursuant to this Directive or national provisions that are already in force on the date of entry into force of this Directive and that relate to the rights which are within its scope. Such penalties can include administrative and financial penalties, such as fines or the payment of compensation, as well as other types of penalties. (44)The effective implementation of the principles of equal treatment and equal opportunities requires the adequate judicial protection of workers against adverse treatment or adverse consequences resulting from a complaint or from proceedings relating to the rights under this Directive. It is possible that victims are deterred from exercising their rights on account of the risk of retaliation and therefore should be protected from any adverse treatment where they exercise their rights provided for in this Directive. Such protection is particularly relevant as regards the representatives of workers in the exercise of their functions. (45)With a view to further improving the level of protection of the rights provided for in this Directive, national equality bodies should be competent in regard to issues relating to discrimination that fall within the scope of this Directive, including the task of providing independent assistance to victims of discrimination in pursuing their complaints. (46)This Directive lays down minimum requirements, thus giving the Member States the option of introducing or maintaining provisions that are more favourable to workers. Allowing one parent to transfer to the other parent more than two months out of the four months of parental leave provided for in this Directive does not constitute a provision that is more favourable to the worker than the minimum provisions laid down in this Directive. Rights that are already acquired on the date of entry into force of this Directive should continue to apply unless this Directive provides for more favourable provisions. The implementation of this Directive should neither be used to reduce existing Union law rights, nor constitute valid grounds for reducing the general level of protection provided to workers, in the areas covered by this Directive. (12) Judgment of the Court of of 11 October 2007, v d'architectes Hoet + Minne SPRL, C-460/06, ECLI:EU: C:2007:601. L 188/85 (47)In particular, nothing in this Directive should be interpreted as reducing the rights provided for in Directives 2010/18/EU, 92/85/EEC and 2006/54/EC, including Article 19 of Directive 2006/54/EC. (48)Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as defined in the to Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC (13), which represent the large majority of enterprises in the Union, can have limited financial, technical and human resources. In implementing this Directive, Member States should strive to avoid imposing administrative, financial or legal constraints in a which would amount to a disincentive to the creation and development of SMEs or an excessive burden to employers. Member States are therefore invited to thoroughly assess the impact of their implementing measures on SMEs in order to ensure the equal treatment of all workers, that SMEs are not disproportionately affected by the measures, with particular focus on microenter prises, and that any unnecessary administrative burden is avoided. Member States are encouraged to provide incentives, guidance and advice to SMEs to assist them in complying with their obligations pursuant to this Directive. (49)kind of family-related time off work, in particular maternity leave, paternity leave, parental leave and carers' leave, that is available under national law or collective agreements should count towards fulfilling the requirements of one or more of the types of leave provided for in this Directive and in Directive 92/85/EEC, provided that the minimum requirements of those directives are fulfilled and that the general level of protection provided to workers in the areas covered by them is not reduced. In implementing this Directive, Member States are not required to rename or otherwise change the different types of family-related leave that are provided for under national law or collective agreements and which count towards compliance with this Directive. (50)Member States are encouraged, in accordance with national practice, to promote a social dialogue with the social partners with a view to fostering the reconciliation of work and private life, including by promoting work-life balance measures in the workplace, establishing voluntary certification systems, providing vocational training, raising awareness, and carrying out information campaigns. In addition, Member States are encouraged to engage in a dialogue with relevant stakeholders, such as non-governmental organisations, local and regional authorities and service providers, in order to promote work-life balance policies in accordance with national law and practice. (51)The social partners should be encouraged to promote voluntary certification systems assessing work-life balance at the workplace. (52)Since the objectives of this Directive, namely to ensure the implementation of the principle of equality between men and women with regard to labour market opportunities and treatment at work across the Union, cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States, but can rather, by reason of their scale and effects, be better achieved at Union level, the Union may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 TEU. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Directive does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve those objectives, This Directive lays down minimum requirements designed to achieve equality between men and women with regard to labour market opportunities and treatment at work, by facilitating the reconciliation of work and family life for workers who are parents, or carers. To that end, this Directive provides for individual rights related to the following: (a)paternity leave, parental leave and carers' leave; (b)flexible working arrangements for workers who are parents, or carers. (13) Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC of 6 2003 concerning the definition of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (OJ L 124, 20.5.2003, p. L 188/86 This Directive applies to all workers, men and women, who have an employment contract or employment relationship as defined by the law, collective agreements or practice in force in each , taking into account the case-law of the Court of . 1.For the purposes of this Directive, the following definitions apply: (a)‘paternity leave’ means leave from work for fathers or, where and insofar as recognised by national law, for equivalent second parents, on the occasion of the birth of a child for the purposes of providing care; (b)‘parental leave’ means leave from work for parents on the grounds of the birth or adoption of a child to take care of that child; (c)‘carers' leave’ means leave from work for workers in order to provide personal care or support to a relative, or to a person who lives in the same household as the worker, and who is in need of significant care or support for a serious reason, as defined by each Member State; (d)‘carer’ means a worker providing personal care or support to a relative, or to a person who lives in the same household as the worker, and who is in need of significant care or support for a serious reason, as defined by each Member State; (e)‘relative’ means a worker's son, daughter, mother, father, spouse or, where such partnerships are recognised by national law, partner in civil partnership; (f)‘flexible working arrangements’ means the possibility for workers to adjust their working patterns, including through the use of remote working arrangements, flexible working schedules, or reduced working hours. 2.The reference to working days in Articles 4 and 6 shall be understood as referring to the full-time working pattern, as defined in the in question. A worker's entitlement to leave may be calculated proportionally to the worker's working time, in accordance with the working pattern specified in the worker's contract of employment or employment relationship. 1.Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that fathers or, where and insofar as recognised by national law, equivalent second parents, have the right to paternity leave of 10 working days that is to be taken on the occasion of the birth of the worker's child. Member States may determine whether to allow paternity leave to be taken partly before or only after the birth of the child and whether to allow such leave to be taken in flexible ways. 2.The right to paternity leave shall not be made subject to a period of work qualification or to a length of service qualification. 3.The right to paternity leave shall be granted irrespective of the worker's marital or family status, as defined by national law. 1.Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that each worker has an individual right to parental leave of four months that is to be taken before the child reaches a specified age, up to the age of eight, to be specified by each or by collective agreement. That age shall be determined with a view to ensuring that each parent is able to exercise their right to parental leave effectively and on an equal basis. L 188/87 2.Member States shall ensure that two months of parental leave cannot be transferred. 3.Member States shall establish a reasonable period of notice that is to be given by workers to employers where they exercise their right to parental leave. In doing so, Member States shall take into account the needs of both the employers and the workers. Member States shall ensure that the worker's request for parental leave specifies the intended beginning and end of the period of leave. 4.Member States may make the right to parental leave subject to a period of work qualification or to a length of service qualification, which shall not exceed one year. In the case of successive fixed-term contracts within the meaning of Council Directive 1999/70/EC (14) with the same employer, the sum of those contracts shall be taken into account for the purpose of calculating the qualifying period. 5.Member States may establish the circumstances in which an employer, following consultation in accordance with national law, collective agreements or practice, is allowed to postpone the granting of parental leave for a reasonable period of time on the grounds that the taking of parental leave at the time requested would seriously disrupt the good functioning of the employer. Employers shall provide reasons for such a postponement of parental leave in writing. 6.Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that workers have the right to request that they take parental leave in flexible ways. Member States may specify the modalities of application thereof. The employer shall consider and respond to such requests, taking into account the needs of both the employer and the worker. The employer shall provide reasons for any refusal to accede to such a request in writing within a reasonable period after the request. 7.Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that when considering requests for full-time parental leave, employers shall, prior to any postponement in accordance with paragraph 5, offer, to the extent possible, flexible ways of taking parental leave pursuant to paragraph 6. 8.Member States shall assess the need for the conditions of access to and the detailed arrangements for the application of parental leave to be adapted to the needs of adoptive parents, parents with a disability and parents with children with a disability or a long-term illness. 1.Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that each worker has the right to carers' leave of five working days per year. Member States may determine additional details regarding the scope and conditions of carers' leave in accordance with national law or practice. The use of that right may be subject to appropriate substantiation, in accordance with national law or practice. 2.Member States may allocate carers' leave on the basis of a reference period other than a year, per person in need of care or support, or per case. Time off from work on grounds of force majeure Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that each worker has the right to time off from work on grounds of force majeure for urgent family reasons in the case of illness or accident making the immediate attendance of the worker indispensable. Member States may limit the right of each worker to time off from work on grounds of force majeure to a certain amount of time each year or by case, or both. (14) Council Directive 1999/70/EC of 28 1999 concerning the framework agreement on fixed-term work concluded by ETUC, UNICE and CEEP (OJ L 175, 10.7.1999, p. L 188/88 1.In accordance with national circumstances, such as national law, collective agreements or practice, and taking into account the powers delegated to the social partners, Member States shall ensure that workers who exercise their right to leave provided for in Article 4(1) or Article 5(2) receive a payment or an allowance in accordance with paragraphs 2 and 3 of this Article. 2.With regard to paternity leave as referred to in Article 4(1), such payment or allowance shall guarantee an income at least equivalent to that which the worker concerned would receive in the event of a break in the worker's activities on grounds connected with the worker's state of health, subject to any ceiling laid down in national law. Member States may make the right to a payment or an allowance subject to periods of previous employment, which shall not exceed six months immediately prior to the expected date of the birth of the child. 3.With regard to parental leave as referred to in Article 5(2), such payment or allowance shall be defined by the or the social partners and shall be set in such a way as to facilitate the take-up of parental leave by both parents. 1.Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that workers with children up to a specified age, which shall be at least eight years, and carers, have the right to request flexible working arrangements for caring purposes. The duration of such flexible working arrangements may be subject to a reasonable limitation. 2.Employers shall consider and respond to requests for flexible working arrangements as referred to in paragraph 1 within a reasonable period of time, taking into account the needs of both the employer and the worker. Employers shall provide reasons for any refusal of such a request or for any postponement of such arrangements. 3.When flexible working arrangements as referred to in paragraph 1 are limited in duration, the worker shall have the right to return to the original working pattern at the end of the agreed period. The worker shall also have the right to request to return to the original working pattern before the end of the agreed period where justified on the basis of a change of circumstances. The employer shall consider and respond to a request for an early return to the original working pattern, taking into account the needs of both the employer and the worker. 4.Member States may make the right to request flexible working arrangements subject to a period of work qualifi cation or to a length of service qualification, which shall not exceed six months. In the case of successive fixed-term contracts within the meaning of Directive 1999/70/EC with the same employer, the sum of those contracts shall be taken into account for the purpose of calculating the qualifying period. 1.Rights that have been acquired or that are in the process of being acquired by workers on the date on which leave provided for in Articles 4, 5 and 6 or time off from work provided for in Article 7 starts shall be maintained until the end of such leave or time off from work. At the end of such leave or time off from work, those rights, including any changes arising from national law, collective agreements or practice, shall apply. 2.Member States shall ensure that, at the end of leave provided for in Articles 4, 5 and 6, workers are entitled to return to their jobs or to equivalent posts on terms and conditions which are no less favourable to them, and to benefit from any improvement in working conditions to which they would have been entitled had they not taken the leave. 3.Member States shall define the status of the employment contract or employment relationship for the period of leave provided for in Articles 4, 5 and 6, or time off from work provided for in Article 7, including as regards entitlements to social security, including pension contributions, while ensuring that the employment relationship is maintained during that period. L 188/89 Member States shall take the necessary measures to prohibit less favourable treatment of workers on the ground that they have applied for, or have taken, leave provided for in Articles 4, 5 and 6 or time off from work provided for in Article 7, or that they have exercised the rights provided for in Article 9. Protection from dismissal and burden of proof 1.Member States shall take the necessary measures to prohibit the dismissal and all preparations for the dismissal of workers, on the grounds that they have applied for, or have taken, leave provided for in Articles 4, 5 and 6, or have exercised the right to request flexible working arrangements referred to in Article 9. 2.Workers who consider that they have been dismissed on the grounds that they have applied for, or have taken, leave provided for in Articles 4, 5 and 6, or have exercised the right to request flexible working arrangements as referred to in Article 9, may request the employer to provide duly substantiated reasons for their dismissal. With respect to the dismissal of a worker who has applied for, or has taken, leave provided for in Article 4, 5 or 6, the employer shall provide reasons for the dismissal in writing. 3.Member States shall take the measures necessary to ensure that where workers who consider that they have been dismissed on the grounds that they have applied for, or have taken, leave provided for in Articles 4, 5 and 6 establish, before a court or other competent authority, facts capable of giving rise to a presumption that they have been dismissed on such grounds, it shall be for the employer to prove that the dismissal was based on other grounds. 4.Paragraph 3 shall not prevent Member States from introducing rules of evidence which are more favourable to workers. 5.Member States shall not be required to apply paragraph 3 to proceedings in which it is for the court or competent body to investigate the facts of the case. 6.Paragraph 3 shall not apply to criminal proceedings, unless otherwise provided by the Member States. Member States shall lay down the rules on penalties applicable to infringements of national provisions adopted pursuant to this Directive, or the relevant provisions already in force concerning the rights which are within the scope of this Directive, and shall take all measures necessary to ensure that they are implemented.