Abstract

The article critically investigates the impact of eligibility criteria on the possibility for precarious workers to access parental leave. Based on the critical literature that has focused on the possible role of work-life balance measures in contributing to exacerbate social inequalities, this article analyzes the inclusiveness of worklife balance measures, focusing on the different conditions of eligibility and access to parental leave. After analyzing the European context, the article focuses on the Italian legislative framework, and reports how a large number of precarious workers may not be a ble to access parental leave. As such, it underlines the disproportionate impact that this exclusion has on women and other workers at the intersection of various axes of inequality, contrary to the aim pursued by the EU equality agenda. The article however points out to the partial advancements in terms of access to the extraordinary parental leave adopted in response to the Covid-19.T e article concludes by recalling the importance of developing, within the academic debate, the analysis of the gender and social impact of the eligibility criteria to access parental leave