Reconciliation of work and family in Finland. Johanna Lammi-Taskula

Transcription

1 Reconciliation of work and family in Finland Johanna Lammi-Taskula

2 Basic elements of family policy: WELFARE OF FAMILIES FAMILY LEAVE SCHEMES FAMILY SERVICES FINANCIAL SUPPORT: FAMILY BENEFITS

3 Employment In Finland, women are highly educated and their proportion in the labour market is high. Part-time work is not very common among mothers. Employment rate and part-time work (%), according to the age of children Age of youngest child yrs Employment rate 2009 Part-time work 2005 Mothers Fathers Childless women (20-59 yrs) < < Childless men (20-59 yrs)

4 Fertility and family structure Women postpone having children because of education, employment and difficulties in finding a suitable co-parent; More and more first children are born to cohabiting parents; parents often get married later. Fertility rate is still relatively high (1,83); a majority of parents want more than one child. Age of mothers giving birth in Finland Number of children in families All First child 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% /04/2012 4

5 Objectives of work-family policy To improve women s position in the labour market To encourage fathers to take parental leave To improve the flexibility of leave schemes To solve problems of long absence from work with part-time leave options To level the employer costs between maledominated and female-dominated branches 5

6 Main reforms 1964 maternity leave 1978 paternity leave 1985 parental leave home care allowance 1988 partial home care allowance (children under 3) 1996 universal right to day care services for all children under school age 2000 preschool for all six year old children 2003 father s month of parental leave (2+2 weeks) partial parental leave 2004 after-school care extension of partial care leave with subsidy (low, flat-rate) to parents of children in 1st and 2nd school year 2005 increased compensation for employers to cover direct costs of parental leave 2007 more flexible use of father s month 2010 extension of father s month (2+4 weeks) 2013 unconditional father s month (6 weeks) 6

7 Children in day care in , according to age (% of age group) under 1 1 year 2 yrs 3 yrs 4 yrs 5 yrs 7

8 Maternity, paternity and parental leave in Finland days* If the father takes 12 last days of parental leave Maternity leave 105 d Parental leave 158 d Paternity leave 18 d Childbirth *6 days = 1 week He gets 24 additional days days = father s month can be taken until the child is 16 m. Child is 9-11 months old. After that care leave/homecare allowance, until the child turns 3 yrs, OR right to municipal day care

9 Leave schemes in Finland Scheme Duration Subsidy Maternity leave 18 weeks 56 days: 90 % * for mothers 49 days: 70 % Paternity leave weeks* 3 weeks: 70 % * for fathers 2 weeks: 75 % Parental leave 26 weeks 30 days: 75 % * for both parents 128 days: 70 % Minimum benefit during maternity/paternity/parental leave 22,13 /day = about 553 / month * if the father takes 2 weeks of parental leave = father s month 27/04/2012 9

10 Scheme Duration Subsidy Home care leave until the child Home care allowance * for both parents turns three, 315,5 / month + if not using the addition for siblings subjective right meansto public daycare tested addition local extra Partial home care leave until the end of Partial hca * shorter working second school term 90 /month hours (30 h/week) (child <3 + 1 & 2 class) Temporary care 2-4 days at a time often full pay leave (depends on * when a child under 10 is sick collective agreement) 27/04/

11 (1000) Take-up of leave still strongly gendered Children born and men receiving paternity/parental benefit in Finland children born paternity benefit bonus paternity benefit parental benefit Source: National Insurance Institution 11

12 Fathers take longer leave periods with the first child in the public sector in female-dominated workplaces when male colleagues have taken leave when supported by the employer when the spouse is highly educated.

13 Polarisation of mothers: The use and length of home care allowance depends on the mother s education level Home care allowance periods (months) according to mother s education level 100 % 90 % 80 % 70 % 60 % 50 % 40 % 30 % 25+ m m m 3-9 m 1-2 m no hca 20 % 10 % 0 % all mothers university degree no professional education Source: Salmi & Lammi-Taskula & Närvi 2009 (THL FL-survey) 13

14 Mothers take longer leave periods with the first child (young mothers with insecure position in the labour market) when in a more secure position (older mothers) in the public sector in big companies.

15 Interest in part-time leave options low Statutory right to part-time parental leave since 2003 provided that both parents shorten their working hours only 113 families (0.1 %) used this option in 2009 Statutory right to shorter working hours + subsidised partial care leave for parents of under-threes since 1988; since 2004 also for parents with children in 1st and 2nd schoolyear. 2,6 % of under-threes and 5,7 % of small schoolchildren in 2009 Parents rather choose an on off option: leave on a full-time basis or full-time employment and day care services. 15

16 Source: Salmi & Lammi-Taskula & Närvi 2009 (THL FL-survey) 16

17 Work organisations find arrangement of part-time work troublesome For our organisation, to offer part-time work is.. Very difficult somewhat difficult easy 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% What is difficult in arranging part-time work: 0 10 % To reorganise tasks To find extra I employees Extra employees expensive Source: Salmi & Lammi-Taskula & Närvi 2009 (THL FL-survey) 17

18 Problematic aspects of family leaves according to personnel managers in 550 organisations % Absence of key personnel Finding substitutes Reorganising tasks Training substitutes Economic costs ei can t osaa say sanoa not at all problematic ei lainkaan jonkin somewhat verran problematic erittäin Customer relations very problematic Source: Salmi & Lammi-Taskula & Närvi 2009 (THL FL Survey) 18

19 % Flexible practices at the workplaces of parents of young children (under 7) not common it is possible in practice to... Liukuva työaika Ylitöitä voi pitää vapaana Mahdollisuus etätyöhön Voi poistua hoitamaan omia use flexitime compensate overtime telecommute leave the asioita with free time workplace in order to take care of private errands Äidit Mothers Isät Fathers 19