Seminar on Leave Rights
The research project LaW-BALANCE and the Centre for the Europeanization of Norwegian Law (CENTENOL) are pleased to invite participants to a full-day seminar on Leave Rights, bringing together leading scholars to discuss leave rights from fundamental rights, comparative, and interdisciplinary perspectives.
The seminar is open to all interested participants and will be live-streamed, making it accessible to an international audience of researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and students.
Programme highlights
The seminar is divided into two parts.
Part 1 focuses on leave rights from a fundamental and European legal perspective, including the future of equality law, leave rights under the EEA framework, and the implementation of the EU Work-Life Balance Directive in Norway.
Programme part 1:
10:00 -10:30 Arrival of participants, coffee
10:30 -11:00 Leave Rights: The Testing Ground for Future Equality Law? (Colm O’Cinneide)
11:00 -11:30 Leave Rights from an EEA perspective, focusing on parental leave (Margret Einarsdottir)11:30 – 11-11.30 -11.45 Break 15 minutes
11:45 -12:15 Accommodations for persons with caring responsibilities based on the recent CJEU Bervidi judgment (Lisa Waddington)
12:15 - 12:25 Discussion
12.25 - 13:15 Lunch
Part 2 addresses selected challenges related to leave rights, drawing on comparative and interdisciplinary approaches. Topics include maternity leave in Germany, breastfeeding leave, time off work for religious reasons, carers’ leave through collective agreements, and cross-border dimensions of carers’ leave.
Programme part 2:
13:15 – 13:45 Maternity leave rights in Germany (Monika Schlachter-Voll)
13:45 – 14:15 To what extent can breastfeeding justify a right to take time off from work? Reflections on the purposes behind breastfeeding leave (Tine Eidsvaag)
14.15 - 14-30 Break 15 minutes
14:30 – 15:00 Accommodation of religious diversity. Time off work for religious reasons (Mark Bell)
15:00 – 15:30 The Regulation of Carers’ Leave through Collective Agreements (Stein Evju)
15:30 – 15:45 Break 15 minutes
15:45 – 16:15 Carers’ leave in a cross-border dimension (Melanie Hack)
16:15 – 16:30 Discussion (commentator NN)
16:30 – 16:45 Concluding remarks (Melanie Hack)
Each session allows time for discussion, and the seminar concludes with final reflections on emerging developments in leave rights
Practical information
- Date: Thursday, 21 May 2026
- Time: 10:00–16:45
- Organisers: LaW-BALANCE & Centre for the Europeanization of Norwegian Law (CENTENOL)
- Format: Hybrid (in-person and live-streamed) Page will be updated with streaming link.
- Participation: Open to all interested
Registration
Participation is free, but registration is required for both in-person and online attendance.