National Focal Point Spain

Equilibrio-Balance Project

Improving work-life balance in Spain

 Generous parental leaves policies, childcare allowances, flexible working hours… Norway has much to share with Spain in work-life balance policies.

10.06.2014

Norway has always been seen as a work-life balance ‘paradise’ due to its generous public support to families.  “The situation in Norway is far better than in Spain when it comes to key elements as legislation, workers’ rights, flexible working hours, parental leaves and facilities for children and elderly”, explains Liss Schanke, from the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities. However, there are some challenges, like the high percentage of women working part time, which has an impact on their careers, salaries and pensions, but also the gender gap or the division of domestic work within the family. “Things are changing slowly but in the right direction”, noted Schanke.

For that reason, aiming to improve the situation and exchange best practices,  ‘Balance among personal, family, and professional life in Spain and Norway’ Project was launched, within the framework of EEA Grants Gender Equality Programme. The main objective is to implement and follow-up actions to facilitate work-life balance and promote co-responsibility in 15 Spanish cities and 2 Norwegians, as well as fostering the exchange of experiences of good practices between the two countries. The Project provides technical and economic support to those best practices that contribute effectively to women and men work-life balance. The project has been conceived and designed within the context of the cooperation established among the European Economic Area donor countries (Iceland, Lichtenstein, and Norway) and the government of Spain (in the case of this project, through the Ministry of Health, Social Services, and Equality's Institute of Women), with the collaboration of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP by its Spanish acronym) and the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS by its Norwegian acronym).

The participant Spanish local governments are Ibiza, Jaén, Vilagarcía de Arousa, Majadahonda, Madrid, Cádiz, Almería, Pedro Muñoz, Candeleda, Mérida, Verín, Cambre, Cabezón de la Sal, Barakaldo y Torre Pacheco which are preparing a comprehensive diagnosis of the work-life balance in the city and its needs. Women’s Institute provides technical assistance in the diagnosis phase but also in the plan configuration –in which also take part companies, unions, associations and general public- and in the plan implementation and monitoring.

“Work life balance is not seen in Norway as an individual problem for women, but a national political precondition for social and economic development”, explains Liss Schanke. “It is necessary in order to achieve high participation in the labour market for both women and men as well as high birth rates, crucial factors to the national long term social and economic sustainability”.

Spain can also ‘export’ some best practices, like Time Banks, “the model is not well known in Norway”.When it comes to improve work-life balance, any contribution is welcome.