International Review of Leave Policies and Related Research 2009

Abstract

This is the fifth annual review of the international network on leave policy and research, which has members and associates from 27 countries, mostly in Europe.The network covers policies for parents and others with care responsibilities, including for adult relatives, as well as policies available to the whole population such as life course career breaks and time credits.But initially, priority is being given to leave policies focused on the care of children.Among the purposes of this network are: the exchange of information about policies, both in individual countries and by international organisations, and research on leave policies; the provision of a forum for the cross-national discussion of issues and trends in policy and research; and providing a source of regularly updated information on policies and research.Amongst other activities, the network organises an annual seminar, and this review includes papers from the seminar held at the Universit catholique de Louvain at Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium in October 2008.It also includes 27 'country notes', providing information on current leave policies in the countries represented in the network, recent developments in policy, information on take-up, and a listing of recent publications and ongoing research; and an overview of current leave policies and recent policy developments in these countries.