The list includes family-friendly working hours, additional leave for new fathers and flexible working hours for people taking care of the elderly.

The proposals presented by the GEQUAL project of the Labour Institute at the Ljubljana Faculty of Law on Tuesday could be included in collective bargaining agreements.

The project aimed to improve the awareness of social partners about the importance of measures for work-life balance, said Barbara Kresal, who headed the project, funded by the Norwegian Financial Mechanism.

GEQUAL proposes the introduction of flexible working hours with a set time frame of mandatory presence at the work place. Moreover, employees with family obligations should be able to work from home at least part time if not the entire day.

What is more, companies should grant additional five days of paid or unpaid leave to men who has got a child in the past six months.

The proposals also include a recommendation that a person taking care of an elderly family member should be allowed to work flexible hours.

Apart from the Ljubljana Faculty of Law, the ZSSS, Slovenia's biggest trade union confederation, and the Employers' Association were also partners in the project.

ZSSS boss Dušan Semolič said the GEQUAL project showed that unions and employers could work together to present, with the help of experts, appropriate solutions to help workers juggle their family and work obligations.

Maja Skorupan of the Employers' Association meanwhile said that employers were well aware that people must be able to coordinate their work and family obligations, as those working in environments where this was not possible were dissatisfied and sick more often.