We ended the year 2013 with good news for families, because thanks to the Royal Decree Law approved by the Government last Friday The time during which working parents can request and enjoy a reduced working day for childcare is extended.
So far it could be done until 8 years old. The new regulations extend the term by four more years.
The Royal Decree Law approved by the Government last Friday, December 20, extends the right of those workers who for legal guardians have a minor in their charge to request and enjoy reduced working hours until 12 years of age, compared to the 8 they had so far. In this way, their situation is equated with those who work for the Public Administration.
The reduction of working day can be done in a percentage that goes from 12.5% and up to a maximum of 50%, maintaining the contributions during the first two years of the same.
Although there are still many issues to improve, this extension in four years of the period during which a reduction in working hours can be requested is a small step towards a family reconciliation real and reasonable not only for parents but especially for children, who are the major victims of the current organization of our labor market.
What we no longer have so clear is that this measure meets the Government's objective, which it believes will serve to encourage job creation by entering into contracts to complement those that are carried out part-time, especially to promote female employment, as they remain working mothers who are statistically most frequently benefiting from the reduction in working hours (compared to a still male minority) and, therefore, are the most affected by this extension of the period.
