Privileges of a Lone Employee Associated with Parenthood in the Slovak Republic

Abstract

Socio-cultural changes have eroded a two-parent family model and the notion of parenthood only after marriage. Living and working conditions of lone parents can make them vulnerable. Therefore, the European Union member states are responsible for ensuring reasonable conditions for lone parents and their children. Often lone parents are still socially and economically disadvantaged and they are confronting twice the difficulties of dual-parent families since they cannot share daily care responsibilities. It is very important for them to remain on the labour market. Slovak Labour Code defines a lone employee as an employee who lives alone and is a single, widowed or divorced man or a single, widowed or divorced woman. A lone employee shall also be understood as a lone man or woman for other substantive reasons. Slovak labour law protects lone employees in several situations. In this paper the Author tries to provide of reader with a comprehensive view of the problem. In order to facilitate work-life balance for lone parents (employees), the Author considers to involve fathers by join custody of a child after the parents’ divorce.