CARExchange is an online library and learning hub dedicated to showcasing effective, innovative, and inclusive practices in the field of work-life balance.
Part of the CAREvolution project, this platform collects and promotes a wide range of resources. It is designed to support decision-makers, social partners, employers, and practitioners in identifying and applying gender-responsive strategies that improve work-life balance outcomes.
CARExchange is not just a collection of documents — it is an evolving knowledge base that supports implementation, sparks ideas, and encourages progress toward more equitable, flexible, and supportive working environments.
Designed to support practical learning, CARExchange includes interactive online training modules for managers and social partners.
This section showcases real-world strategies and successes from across the EU, helping you explore what has worked — and why.
Employees in companies with 10 or more staff have the right to request a change in their working hours, schedule, or location after six months of employment. Requests can be made once per year, with exceptions in unforeseen circumstances. Full-time employees can therefore work fewer hours (often below 40 per week) while maintaining full-time status and benefits. Employers can only refuse these changes for valid business reasons, and the adjustment can also be temporary.
Employees can request a compressed workweek to complete their working hours in four days instead of five. The standard full-time week is 38 hours, typically distributed over 4 days at 9.5 hours per day. If the employment contract sets between 38 and 40 hours per week, companies can allow these to be spread across four days at a maximum of 10 hours per day. However, implementation depends on the employer’s decision and must align with company-level agreements.
Parents are entitled to 480 days (68 weeks) of paid parental leave per child, compensated at around 80% of their salary. Each parent receives 240 days, with 90 of those days being non-transferable to encourage shared responsibility. More than 90% of Swedish fathers take some form of parental leave, one of the highest uptake rates globally. This generous policy aims to support family well-being and gender equality in caregiving roles.
Parents (or foster parents and guardians) have the right to work part-time when caring for a child under age 8. This legal provision enables flexible work arrangements while maintaining proportional access to employment rights and benefits. The aim is to support work-life balance, especially for caregivers, without forcing them out of the workforce entirely.
Employees in France have a legal right to disconnect, which protects them from being expected to respond to emails, calls, or messages outside working hours. This right is embedded in national labor law to prevent burnout, reduce stress, and promote work-life balance. It applies across sectors and especially benefits workers with caregiving responsibilities, reinforcing boundaries between professional and private life.
in competitive or shrinking labor markets.
in competitive or shrinking labor markets.
by reducing burnout and increasing focus.
including parenting, caregiving, and long commutes.
through trust-based, people-centered policies.
making the company more appealing to job seekers and partners.
In the frame of the CAREvolution project an additional Analysis on gender, mental health, and work-life balance in organizations was conducted, the findings of which YOU can use to support the claims on improving the well-being of your organization.
Alongside national laws and workplace policies, numerous projects across Europe have brought together employers, trade unions, researchers, civil society organizations, and public authorities to find new ways of supporting work-life balance. Below are examples of such projects and frameworks, which (often) focus on rethinking how care – especially informal and unpaid care – is recognized and shared:
