Changing the mindset of Italian employers and their workers will be necessary for the EU’s new work-life balance to be truly effective in a country that has yet to fully embrace shared parental and family care leave.

Adopted in 2019, the new EU-wide rules set out minimum standards for paternity, parental, and carers’ leave, and establish the right to request flexible working arrangements, to help people, especially women, develop their careers without having to sacrifice their family life.