Browse by country - Hungary - 2010
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23 November 2010: Hungary: EWCO comparative analytical report on Work-related Stress (Hungary / National Contribution)
The Hungarian Act on Health and Safety has prescribed since 2008 that containing psychosocial risk factors at the workplace shall be the responsibility of the employer. It has also determined that employee representatives may take part in fulfilling this duty. Although the legal regulations have included the assessment of psychosocial factors among the risk assessment responsibilities, the nature of the question does not allow the introduction of measurable standards. Health promotion and stress management at work have received attention at multinational companies mostly, while smaller enterprises face difficulties with respect to stress-related risk assessment and stress management due to the shortage of capital and free practical guidelines.
22 October 2010: Hungary: Information, consultation and participation of workers concerning health and safety in SMEs (Hungary / National Contribution)
The Act on Labour Safety stipulates that enterprises employing at least 50 shall select labour protection representatives and that the election shall be organised by the employer. According to estimates, elected labour protection representatives represent one sixth of employees. Typically, they are elected at large multinational enterprises. The Act has contributed to the development of the institution of representation; the Foundation for Workers’ Representatives takes care of the training and further training of the representatives.
24 September 2010: Alarming increase in SME bankruptcies due to economic crisis (Hungary / Information update)
After a significant slowdown in April 2010, the rate of company liquidations in Hungary rebounded in May back to the level seen in the first quarter of the year, with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) being particularly affected by the economic downturn. Significant differences in numbers of bankruptcies remain between Hungarian regions. New bankruptcy legislation is intended to help struggling companies but few have so far applied under the new procedure.
17 August 2010: Failures of vocational training (Hungary / Information update)
The benefits of education in the labour market have been growing steadily and significantly since the regime change in Hungary in 1989. One exception is the decline in wage returns for vocational qualifications. Despite a sizeable demand for well-trained workers in several areas, the unemployment rate among skilled workers is high and many are forced into unskilled jobs. One reason is the low quality and lack of evolution of their vocational and educational training.
02 August 2010: New measure to help mothers return part time to the public sector (Hungary / Information update)
Mothers wishing to return to work face many difficulties. Promoting atypical forms of employment is one way of facilitating their reintegration into the labour market. On average, only 4.3% of employees in Hungary worked part time in 2008 compared with 17.6% in the EU27. New legislation seeks to address this low proportion by obliging public sector employers to allow part-time employment for women wishing to return to work before their child is three years of age.
21 July 2010: Absence from work – Hungary (Hungary / National Contribution)
There has been a decline in the number of people entitled to receive sick pay, as well as in the proportion of those on sick pay compared with those entitled to it. This is largely due to stricter regulations, introduced in 2009, which set a smaller amount for the allowance, together with employees’ reluctance to be absent from work for fear of losing their jobs. An increasing number of companies recognise that promoting the health of their employees is an investment.
14 July 2010: Level of migration increases in Hungary (Hungary / Information update)
The extent of migration has increased in Hungary over the past 20 years with the opening up of the country’s borders after the economic and political regime change. Since then, a large number of studies have been conducted to explore the various dimensions and aspects of migration in Hungary. The majority of migrants are ethnic Hungarians from neighbouring countries. It is estimated that about 30% of undeclared work is carried out by foreign workers.
23 June 2010: High levels of employment discrimination against Roma population (Hungary / Information update)
It is estimated that 6%–7% of the Hungarian population are Roma, whose employment rate significantly lags behind the respective indicators of the non-Roma population. A complex set of factors lies behind the exclusion of the Roma population from the labour market, including a generally low level of education, regional segregation, effects of the economic transition and discrimination by employers, which many studies have highlighted.
06 April 2010: Working poor in Europe – Hungary (Hungary / National Contribution)
Employment policy measures in Hungary focus on people without work due to the country’s low employment rate. In-work poverty is not emphasised, although some social policy measures affect its scale and extent. The statutory minimum wage has increased substantially in the last decade and has been exempt from income tax since 2002. However, some tax-free benefits to employees are taxable since the start of 2010, which may have a negative effect on low-paid workers.
15 March 2010: Continuing vocational training in enterprises (Hungary / Survey data report [ or view as 
size 105 kb])
Training at the workplace is of paramount importance, in terms of enhancing economic growth, promoting adjustment to labour market demands, dealing with unemployment and ensuring social security. The primary aim of the study, prepared in 2006 and reflecting the situation in 2005, was to gain a thorough and better understanding of the investment in human resources by enterprises employing more than 10 workers.
08 March 2010: Stricter sick leave rules results in insurance savings (Hungary / Information update)
Hungary’s National Health Insurance Fund (OEP) managed to achieve a positive budget balance in 2008, according to recent findings. The savings are thought to be linked to the first stage of a health reform in early 2007, introducing stricter rules for sick leave and the supervision and review of the incapacity for work status by OEP doctors. As a result, the number of sick days taken and sick leave expenditure have shown a decline in recent years.
05 March 2010: Hungary: Flexible forms of work: 'very atypical' contractual arrangements (Hungary / National Contribution)
This study examines particular non-standard forms of employment in Hungary.