On Tuesday, Israel’s State Employees Union signed three collective agreements with the Civil Service Commission and the Ministry of Finance, shoring up parental rights and access to professional development for civil servants.
The agreement gives new rights for full-time employees with children up to the age of 12. These parents will be entitled to a shortened workday as of April 1. Parents of children up to age 5 will have the right to a shortened workday of 7.5 hours, and parents of children 5-12 will have a workday of 7 hours. In addition, the agreement grants three additional days off each year to parents of children up to age 12 who work in state hospitals.
Another agreement concerns the promotion of lifelong learning and professional development for government employees. This clause approves six paid training days per year for government employees working in managerial positions, and up to 30 training in certified training and courses, as well as training and seminars of the Histadrut.
These agreements are aimed at narrowing gender wage gaps and increasing work-life balance, striving to enhance uniformity of working conditions between government offices.
Histadrut Chair Arnon Bar-David said, “These agreements not only improve working conditions and job security, but also address important issues such as professional development and knowledge accumulation—which will further enhance service to the public.”
Professor Daniel Hershkowitz, head of the Civil Service Commission, congratulated the workers on “agreements that promote a healthy work-life balance for the benefit of employees and society as a whole.”
State Employees Union Chair Ofir Alcalay called the agreements “historic and important.” “These agreements will allow parents a better work-home balance, and will provide all employees with more quality family time alongside excellent service to citizens,” he said.
