Publications on Work-life balance

  1. Maternity and paternity at work: Law and practice across the world

    13 May 2014

    The study reviews national law and practice on both maternity and paternity at work in 185 countries and territories including leave, benefits, employment protection, health protection, breastfeeding arrangements at work and childcare.

  2. In search of good quality part-time employment

    13 March 2014

  3. Working Conditions Laws 2012

    06 February 2014

    This report provides an international comparative legal information on national working conditions legislation and highlights global and regional trends in over 150 countries. The report covers national legislation in three fundamental working conditions: working hours, minimum wages, and maternity protection. The report aims to provide ILO constituents, policymakers, and researchers with comparative legal information on these issues as they consider legislation and policies that impact on workplaces and their workforce.

  4. Living and working conditions in inland navigation in Europe

    20 December 2013

    This study explores various aspects of the inland navigation in the European region, addressing all the essential aspects in relation to the working and living conditions of the crews, including relevant laws and regulations, occupational safety and health, social security and enforcement, etc.

  5. Supporting workers with family responsibilities: connecting child development and the decent work agenda

    08 July 2013

    This working paper presents a series of solutions to the challenging social issues. It builds on the conclusions of “Investing in Child Development and Learning: Ensuring Equity in Decent Work and Sustainable Development,” a forum convened by UNICEF and ILO on 28 February 2012. This paper was used to stimulate dialogue and guide discussion during an Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Ministerial Roundtable in New York on 3 July 2012. The Roundtable examined the policy challenges posed to policy-makers, the social partners (employers’ and workers’ organizations) and other societal actors in proposing policies in support of working families.

  6. “Meeting the needs of my family too”: Maternity protection and work-family measures for domestic workers

    01 July 2013

    This document is part of a series of briefs on issues and approaches to promoting decent work for domestic workers.

  7. Work Sharing during the Great Recession: New Developments and Beyond (SUMMARY)

    18 June 2013

    This volume examines the resurgent interest in and use of work sharing as a job preservation strategy during the Great Recession of 2008–09. It also considers the crisis experience for the potential use of work sharing to generate jobs, thus contributing to the ongoing debate on its efficacy as an employment creation measure. The book offers in-depth analysis of work sharing in Europe – specifically in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands – and in the diverse contexts of Japan, Turkey, the United States and Uruguay. It synthesizes the main lessons learned from the country cases and considers their implications for the future of work sharing.

  8. The Distribution of Hours of Work in Developed and Developing Countries: What are the Main Differences and Why?

    01 May 2013

  9. International perspectives on women and work in hotels, catering and tourism

    07 April 2013

    This working paper highlights structural and cultural issues that often determine the roles that women play within the hotel, catering and tourism workforce and the strategies which can make a difference to their status and opportunities within the sector.

  10. Good practices and challenges on the Maternity Protection Convention, 2000 (No. 183) and the Workers with Family Responsibilities Convention, 1981 (No. 156): A comparative study

    05 November 2012

    The working paper presents ten national case studies on Conventions No. 183 and 156. It identifies opportunities for stepping up ratification and implementation of these Conventions, as requested in the 2009 International Labour Conference Resolution concerning gender equality at the heart of decent work. An annex contains an annotated bibliography of 150 relevant publications, making this a complete reference tool for policy-makers and practitioners.