Once the Royal Decree-Law 6/2019 of 1 March, incorporating and including the new configuration for parental leave, has been completely rolled out, Spain will have obtained formal equality between men and women with respect to said leave. Starting from a description of reality in the country regarding gender biases in the labour and domestic spheres and with the support of the specialised literature, this article argues why the reform of parental leave, although it should make a contribution in the path towards effective equality, does not look to be enough for improving the current situation in a significant way. Working from this information, the way in which a new reform should be conceived is also proposed, and there is a reflection on whether a country such as Spain could pay for its cost. Finally, there is an analysis of the need for a double involve- ment of the state and the business world, along with the need for obtaining the requisite disruptive change, not only in terms of democratic qualities but also in terms of competitive advantage in the new socioeconomic paradigm.

The technologies based on artificial intelligence and robotics are one of the leading challenges facing us now with regards to the future of human work. The so-called Industry 4.0 is placing various business models in doubt, transforming training requirements for the system of production, and is progressively impacting on the distribution of profit.

The Spanish labour market provides a good example of how this new wave of technological change can have an impact on the levels and especially the structure of employment. A growing polarisation can be seen in labour demand and employment opportunities in accordance with educational levels and the various effects of labour imbalance, which are principally attributable to the characteristics of a dominant production model that is intensive in tasks of a routine nature but not particularly active in the incorporation of emerging technologies.