[30. 10. 2013] The family organizations call for a detailed right to return in order to facilitate employees’ way back into full-time employment after having opted for a part-time job. At its meeting today, the General Assembly of the AGF adopted a corresponding resolution.
Berlin, 30.10.2013 – “In light of the considerable efforts of families in their everyday balancing act between professional demands and family responsibilities, we desperately need a better framework. So far, the labor market lacks true concern for families’ realities,” declared the chairman of AGF, Dr. Klaus Zeh.
The family organizations propose a general right to limit part-time employment to a certain time period. When the time limit expires, an automatic right to return to the previous workload applies. In the case of conflicting interests among employees, priority should be given to those with minor children or care responsibilities for other relatives.
In a conference the previous day, the family organizations had discussed ways to assist families regarding the reconciliation of family and work together with experts from trade unions, academia, politics, and employers’ associations. A central issue had been the right to return from part-time to previously held full-time employment, as often part-time jobs, which mothers or fathers had reduced their full-time positions to in times of intense familial responsibilities, later turned out to be undesirable dead-ends.
“We expect the new government to be more responsive to the needs of families and to decide on specific family policy measures for a better reconciliation of work and family life,” stated Dr. Klaus Zeh and further specified: “Thus, for example, the right to return to a full-time position should necessarily also be discussed within the current coalition negotiations and implemented into law as quickly as possible.”
In addition to these specific measures, the family organizations renewed their hope that the European Commission designates 2014 to be the European Year for Reconciling Work and Family Life. Such a European Year could be another important keystone influencing national family policies.