Brussels, 25/01/2016 (Agence Europe) - Issues relating to working time and older people should form part of the draft report on gender equality and empowering women in the digital age, says the European Parliament's employment and social affairs (EMPL) committee in suggestions adopted on Monday 25 January. The non-legislative draft resolution will be put to the vote in the women's rights and gender equality committee on 18 February.
The EMPL committee, in its opinion, calls on the Commission and the member states to examine the new forms of employment in the digital age and to take measures to help the most vulnerable groups. It notes that digitisation of the labour market changes the nature of work and of employer-employee relations, including in terms of work organisation possibilities and flexibility. It underlines that work-related mental health problems, such as burn-out, caused by a demand to be constantly available present serious risks. In this context, the committee suggests that set workers' rest periods be fully respected and highlights the need to respect working time in flexible work contracts so that the boundaries of working times, as set out in national legislations, are maintained.
The EMPL committee stresses, too, that digitisation is a significant barrier for older workers as they seek work with limited skills. It calls, then, on the European Commission and the member states to support life-long learning and training that makes adaptation or a potential career change easier. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)