SOCIAL CHANGES AND RESPONSES IN LABOUR LAW

Abstract

Coming to terms with all the roles we play in our lives, as they may be defined female or male, or more distinctively mother or father, with the work which does satisfy and nurture our truest being is something that a very large proportion of us encounter with difficulty. Inasmuch as we are already equal partners as parents with all the duty and responsibility incumbent on us, no one will say it’s anything but obvious, therefore, that the European Union policy placed parity of partnership within these most essential roles centrally on its agenda and as one of its flagships. The introduction of smart working in addition to home office and teleworking introduces both challenges and possibilities. The concept of working time seems to be vanishing in this concept. Meanwhile, for the reconciliation of work and private life, it seems that we cannot give up on the conventional protective function of working time regulation. In the course of our research, we present two distinct examples that serve to fully illustrate the various issues we encountered. The very first issue for discussion is the court case in Romania that is related to the issue of confusing professional duties and private life. This particular case has raised a lot of controversy and interest in various professional communities, drawing the interest of many individuals concerned about the consequences. The second approach is to clearly lay out and discuss at some length the key research results of Profeta and Angelici, who put forward the argument that the elimination of both spatial and temporal constraints regarding work can be a highly successful approach to achieving greater effectiveness in the organization of work activities. It is also noteworthy that their results indicate a very pronounced impact for women, with the implication that the flexibility allowed through the use of smart working practices can be an important element in helping to eradicate and ultimately close the widespread gender gaps that are observed in numerous workplace settings.

Keywords: work life balance, smart working, burn out, working time, flexibility, right to disconnect