Today is Family Friendly Day and the Government will be launching a website to provide information on leave entitlements for workers.
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions, which has called on the Government to mark the day by agreeing to introduce paid parental leave, is providing a freefone information service. The number is 1850 201 521.
Last night the Irish Medical Organisation revealed that 47 per cent of doctors are unable to meet family commitments due to work demands.
A spokeswoman said, "It is clear from these figures that this is an issue needing urgent attention by the National Framework for Family Friendly Policies under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness."
Meanwhile, one of the Republic's largest employers has just agreed a major family-friendly package with its unions to coincide with Family Friendly Day.
Tesco, which has 10,000 staff, is to introduce three days' paid paternity leave, to allow fathers to take paid postnatal leave where it is not possible for mothers to do so, and to give career breaks and provide special leave to help employees cope with bereavement and other difficult circumstances.
Fathers would not have to be married to the mother of a child to obtain parental leave. They would have to have at least one year's service with Tesco. They could claim the three days only once a year, even if the mother gives birth to more than one baby that year.
The company's employee relations manager, Ms Muriel Silke, said the company was "recognising the importance of the family" in the new agreement.
The move has been welcomed by the company's unions, SIPTU and Mandate.
Announcing its freefone number yesterday, the ICTU's equality officer, Ms Joan Carmichael, renewed the call by congress for paid parental leave to be introduced from March 8th, when paid maternity leave will be extended from 14 weeks to 18. Unpaid maternity leave is being extended from four to eight weeks.
Last night the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr O'Donoghue, said the Parental Leave Act had a "built-in" review and the social partners' working group would begin this process "within the next few weeks".