Labor laws can change. Do companies change with them?

The draft amendment to the labor law, currently under public consultation, raises questions that go beyond breastfeeding or the shifts of parents with children under 12. The debate is heated: some accuse mothers of "prolonging breastfeeding to maintain reduced working hours," others criticize fathers for refusing night shifts.

But this debate, focused solely on parental rights, ignores the real problem: the current work model is out of touch with human reality.

We live in a system that has normalized 12-hour days away from home, with children dropped off at daycare at 7 a.m. and picked up at 7 p.m. As if this were normal. As if this were life.

In the name of productivity, affection is stifled, the parental role is rendered invisible, and caregiving is pushed to the margins of professional life. And the result is clear to see. Based on data published in the White Paper on the Mental Well-being of Young People in Europe, released by the Z Foundation Zurich in February 2025:

Almost half of young people in the European Union (49%) reported unmet mental health care needs, compared with 23% of the adult population

Among young Europeans aged 15 to 19, suicide is the second leading cause of premature death.

In the European context, more than one in six young people “struggle with their mental health” and, according to the authors of the study, “recent data suggests that the situation is worsening”.

This is no coincidence, but later, we are shocked by the consequences: young people who cannot distinguish reality from illusion; outbursts of violence and risky behavior; dependence on medication or other substances to cope with a world that never taught them how to feel.

The debate cannot be limited to legal experts and politicians. Business leaders—CEOs, HR directors, and administrators—play a decisive role.

The law may provide the minimum framework, but internal policies are the real field of action.

Flexible and scalable schedules for compatible roles

Real hybrid models, based on trust and autonomy

Parental leave valued, not penalized in progression

Family and emotional benefits, such as in-house daycare, psychological and educational support

Emotionally safe cultures where leading also means caring

In a market where talent retention is a challenge, companies that ignore the impact of parenthood on their employees' lives are compromising their own future.

Divide and conquer: a costly mistake

Focusing only on breastfeeding mothers or fathers with young children creates artificial rivalry between employees with and without children, between business owners and teams. In reality, policies that respect personal time benefit everyone:

employees who are caregivers for family members (younger or older),

young people starting their working lives,

companies that want to retain talent.

The change to the breastfeeding leave law is an opportunity to rethink not only the legislation, but also the organizational culture. Work must fit into life, not life must fit into a gap between endless working days.