Publications by subject - Health - 2011

On 30 June 2011, a seminar on Youth and Employment was hosted by the Employment and Social Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, and jointly organised by four European agencies: Cedefop, ETF, EU-OSHA and Eurofound. The agencies highlighted the complementarity of their work by each presenting different aspects and perspectives related to youth employment in Europe and its neighbourhood countries. Topics included the transition from education to the workplace, guidance for young people at risk, safe and decent jobs for young people, the 'NEETs' phenomenon and its economic costs, the active inclusion of disadvantaged young people in employment and the global dimension of youth employment. Full speakers presentations are also available.

This report describes over 50 cases of companies in 11 Member States that have adopted measures to support their employees with care responsibilities for disabled children or adults. Key initiatives by companies include: various types of leave; reduced working hours; and such supportive measures as information, counselling and practical support. The report concludes that: raising awareness is particularly important; that particularly effective approaches combine measures targeted at working carers, and measures that the entire workforce can avail of; that line managers have a pivotal role to play in supporting working carers; and that it is possible to create solutions that either avoid the need for employees to leave the job, or that enable them to return to work. An annotated bibliography and an executive summary are also available, together with a searchable database.

The report describes over 50 cases of companies in 11 Member States that have adopted measures to support their employees with care responsibilities for disabled children or adults. Key initiatives by companies include: various types of leave; reduced working hours; and such supportive measures as information, counselling and practical support. An executive summary and a searchable database are also available.

In the Netherlands growing numbers of young people and adolescents are in receipt of special education, mental health care services and benefits because of long-term illness, handicap or chronic disease. The most alarming increase is in those covered by the Disablement Assistance Act for Handicapped Young Persons (Wajong). In 2001, 120,000 people received a Wajong benefit. By 2010, this figure had risen to almost 200,000. Read more on this topic.

Findings are based on Eurofound’s second European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS 2007). Quality of life is analysed in different social domains, based on objective as well as subjective indicators. The report addresses the perceived economic situation of households, family life, housing and local environment, health and access to health services, perceived quality of society, and subjective well-being, as well as interrelations between these factors. Read more in the report.

The report presents the results of Eurofound’s work on company initiatives for workers with care responsibilities for disabled children or adults. The research focused on initiatives that employers can take to support the needs of workers who have (informal) care responsibilities, including parents caring for children with disabilities and carers of adults who need care because of disability, illness or old age. An annotated bibliography and a searchable database are also available.

This issue of Foundation Focus looks at the relationship between work and health, using first findings from Eurofound’s fifth European Working Conditions Survey which was launched on 16 and 17 November 2010 under the Belgian EU presidency. With the additional support of the European Commission, the two-day conference brought together high-level policymakers and decision makers in the field to discuss the future of working conditions across Europe.