Policy(s) of Reconciliation of Family and Professional Obligations in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

The paper analyzes the policy(s) of harmonizing family and professional obligations in the context of the legal regulations of both domestic and international documents that are applied in B&H. The subject of the research is based on the analysis of family policy measures that are directly aimed at harmonizing family and professional obligations in B&H, by reviewing the existing policies and practices of social and labor legislation at the level of three administrative units: Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Srpska and The Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As part of the research, current measures and activities that are regulated by laws in B&H, such as maternity/parental leave (time), maternity benefits (money), and childcare services (services of preschool institutions) were analyzed as important factors when harmonizing family and professional obligations. The policies of harmonizing family and professional obligations in B&H are harmonized with EU standards, but they are not sufficiently developed, which means that parents must make additional efforts to meet the demands of the workplace and the family. To achieve a balance between the demands of the labor market, the level of monetary benefits and the length of payment, the possibility of taking leave and the use of childcare services, taking into account the circumstances first in the economic sense, it is necessary to work on improving the measures in this area, respecting and the choice of the parents themselves.