Justice and family worklife balance: Courts begin to apply co-responsibility in settling disputes

The recent reform will require judges to introduce the new perspective, as has already been done by the High Court of the Canary Islands, which refers to the father's responsibility for adapting the working day of a couple employed in the same company.

The concept of co-responsibility - as the balanced sharing of domestic tasks and family responsibilities is called - has been definitively incorporated into our legal system by means of the royal omnibus decree that came into force on 29 June. The text modifies certain articles of the Workers' Statute to introduce paid leave or the right to adapt the working day to care for children or dependent persons. 

Pere Vidal, Associate Director of Labour Law at RocaJunyent, has contributed to an article for El Periódico.com in which this reform is analysed.

Access to the full article (available in Spanish)