Publications by subject - Quality of work - 2012

Achieving work environments that make work sustainable over a lifetime is a key facet of the promotion of longer working lives. This study - based on the fifth European Working Conditions Survey - considers the dimensions of work that have proved essential to the understanding of work sustainability: working conditions; physical and psychological health; the expressive dimension of work; reconciliation of working and non-working time; and socioeconomic conditions. It examines the influence of these factors on how older workers perceive the sustainability of their work, taking account of differences between workers in terms of age, occupation and gender. In addition, the working conditions of the ageing workforce across Member States of the European Union are compared. An executive summary is also available.

What are the conditions that make work sustainable over a lifetime and are therefore likely to promote a longer working life? The concept of work sustainability takes into account the simultaneous – and partly contradictory – evolution of working conditions and of the demography of the active population. It builds not only on research on job quality for older workers, but also on research examining how job quality affects all age groups. This study is based on a secondary analysis of the fifth European Working Conditions Survey. Read more in the report.

The proportion of people aged 65 and over will rise from 17% to 30% of the EU population by 2060, while at the same time the working age population will decline. The European Commission estimates that most of the increase in public spending in the EU over the next 50 years will be on pensions, long-term care and healthcare. Foundation Findings provide pertinent background information and policy pointers for all actors and interested parties engaged in the current European debate on the future of social policy. The contents are based on Foundation research and reflect its autonomous and tripartite structure.

This document comprises two annexes to the report Work organisation and innovation. Annex 1: Summary of some major public policy initiatives related to innovations in HPWPs. Annex 2: Interview guides for human resources or lead managers, senior managers, line managers, employees representatives, and employees.

Innovations in work organisation have the potential to optimise production processes in companies and improve employees’ overall experience of work. This report explores the links between innovations in work organisation – under the broader label of high performance work practices (HPWPs) – and the potential benefits for both employees and organisations. It draws on empirical evidence from case studies carried out in 13 Member States of the European Union where workplace innovations have resulted in positive outcomes. Read more in the report.

Innovations in work organisation have the potential to optimise production processes in companies and improve employees’ overall experience of work. This report explores the links between innovations in work organisation – under the broader label of high performance work practices (HPWPs) – and the potential benefits for both employees and organisations. It draws on empirical evidence from case studies carried out in 13 Member States (Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, UK) of the European Union where workplace innovations have resulted in positive outcomes. An executive summary and annexes are also available.

On 12 April 2012, a conference on 'Quality of work and Employment: A policy tool towards inclusive and sustainable growth' was jointly organised by the European Parliament and Eurofound, with the participation of Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament and with the support of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats. The main findings of the series of European Working Conditions Surveys (EWCS), which have been conducted by Eurofound for more than 20 years now, were discussed, focusing on the current challenges for quality of work and employment and the need for a broader approach to sustainable and inclusive work when employment policies are designed. The overview report of the latest 5th wave of the EWCS was launched at the conference.

It is increasingly common for workers in the EU to take up paid work after retirement. This trend adds an important dimension to the current discourse on extending working lives. Facilitating work after retirement for those who want to work can contribute to sustainable pension systems. This study investigates retirees’ motivations for seeking paid work and their opportunities for gaining employment. It examines the extent to which work after retirement is related to income adequacy among the retired population. It also explores the types of paid employment that retirees take up and identifies ways in which companies seek to recruit and retain retirees. The report concludes with recommendations for governments, employers and retirees. An executive summary is also available.

It is increasingly common for workers in the EU to take up paid work after retirement. This trend adds an important dimension to the current discourse on extending working lives. Facilitating work after retirement for those who want to work can contribute to sustainable pension systems. This study investigates retirees’ motivations for seeking paid work and their opportunities for gaining employment. It examines the extent to which work after retirement is related to income adequacy among the retired population. It also explores the types of paid employment that retirees take up and identifies ways in which companies seek to recruit and retain retirees. The report concludes with recommendations for governments, employers and retirees. Read more in the report.

This annual review describes the developments in industrial relations and working conditions in 2011 in the EU Member States and Norway, at both national and EU level, with a focus on the economic situation and responses to it. The report describes the current economic situation in EU Member States and highlights relevant political and legislative developments in individual countries. It describes labour market trends in Europe and developments in career and employment security, health and well-being at work, skills development and work–life balance. It also examines changes in the organisation and role of social partners, developments in collective bargaining (at cross-sectoral, sectoral and company levels), working time, pay developments, social dialogue developments, industrial conflicts and company restructuring in 2011. At European level, the report summarises the main events over the course of 2011, charting trends in European social policy, employment legislation and social dialogue.

The ERM Report 2012 focuses on the consequences of restructuring for employees. It examines which employees lost their job at the onset of the economic crisis, which of them found a new job and how both job loss and subsequent re-employment impacted on their overall life situation and satisfaction. It also looks at the impact on working conditions for employees who remain at the restructured firm. Both these studies, of those who lost their jobs and those who stayed at the restructured workplace, have never before been analysed by common, EU-wide and representative, datasets. The report also provides an overview of recent restructuring using the ERM database. While restructuring cases reporting job loss have fallen since the peak of 2009, they still outnumber announcements of job gain. Several recent cases testify to serious problems in the once very promising alternative energy sector in Europe. The findings show that much of the recently announced job creation is in the hotels and retail sectors. Read more in the report.

The ERM Report 2012 focuses on the consequences of restructuring for employees. It examines which employees lost their job at the onset of the economic crisis, which of them found a new job and how both job loss and subsequent re-employment impacted on their overall life situation and satisfaction. It also looks at the impact on working conditions for employees who remain at the restructured firm. Both these studies, of those who lost their jobs and those who stayed at the restructured workplace, have never before been analysed by using common, EU-wide and representative, datasets. The report also provides an overview of recent restructuring using the ERM database. While restructuring cases reporting job loss have fallen since the peak of 2009, they still outnumber announcements of job gain. Several recent cases testify to serious problems in the once very promising alternative energy sector in Europe. The findings show that much of the recently announced job creation is in the hotels and retail sectors. An executive summary is available.

Of all the future challenges facing labour markets in Europe, none is more certain than the demographic imbalances resulting from the lower birth cohorts after the post-war ‘baby boom’ and the continual increase in life expectancy. Indeed, this has already led to a significant shift in the age structure in practically all European countries. This paper was produced as a discussion paper for the European Commission’s thematic review seminar on ‘Employment policies to promote active ageing’, which took place in Brussels on 11 June 2012.

This reports consists of: a presentation of the ECS 2009 together with a review of similar but national surveys as well as the use of EU-wide surveys more generally; the coverage and findings of the ECS in relation to current European Union policy objectives, notably those set out in Europe 2020; a discussion of secondary analyses undertaken by Eurofound researchers or on their behalf by outside researchers, and the results of independent research work undertaken using ECS 2009 data; a review of the relevant existing knowledge concerning the subjects to be addressed in the next European Company Survey (2013), namely new forms of work organisation and partnership, high-performance work systems, best practice human resource management techniques, and workplace innovation and flexibility. A final section summarises the conclusions of the report and offers recommendations for the future.

The economic crisis has severely damaged the employment prospects of the young generation, and employment among young people is now at the lowest level ever recorded by Eurostat. To better capture the extent of economic inactivity among the young, the concept of NEET – not in employment, education or training – has been developed. This report analyses the labour market situation of young people in Europe, with a specific focus on the NEET group. It examines the determinants of belonging to the NEET group, and measures the economic and social costs of NEETs. It also assesses how Member States through policies and interventions have sought to support young people to gain a foothold in the labour market. Read more in the report.

This report analyses the labour market situation of young people in Europe, with a specific focus on the NEET group. It examines the determinants of belonging to the NEET group, and measures the economic and social costs of NEETs. It also assesses how Member States through policies and interventions have sought to support young people to gain a foothold in the labour market. It shows that successful policy initiatives address specific, disadvantaged subgroups in the NEET population. They are client-centred in their efforts to set young people on a pathway to long-term, sustainable employment and they are innovative, adopting new ways of reaching a target group. An executive summary is also available.

Data presented in this report support and complement previous analyses on quality of working life in Slovenia, which indicated increasing work intensity in Slovenian companies over the last decade. The report is based both on analysis of the standard European Working Conditions Survey questionnaire that covered several aspects of working conditions, including physical environment, workplace design, working hours, work organisation and social relationships in the workplace, and on a Slovenian special module exploring experiences of mobbing, harassment and bullying at the workplace. The findings suggest that Slovenian companies should improve their methods of human resource management and strive to create a more constructive and worker-friendly environment. For example, they should seek to use workers’ full potential and to provide them with good quality information. They should seek to improve working conditions and thus reduce exhaustion and stress levels in the workforce. One tenth of respondents reported experiencing psychological violence and this experience was correlated with being given too much work or work that is badly organised.

Working time flexibility is one of the many different forms of flexibility. A key characteristic of working time flexibility is the ability to modify working hours by either the employer or the employee or both. Working time flexibility can be seen from the perspective of the employer or the perspective of the employee. The Europe 2020 initiative recognised that organisation of working time can help workers combine work and other commitments, and employers adjust labour input. Read more in the report.

The report examines working time flexible arrangements implemented in five companies of the retail and automotive sector in Hungary and Belgium and the Netherlands using the case study methodology. The main aim of this research was to explore and show whether and under what conditions working time flexible arrangements in companies are implemented and can increase productivity and at the same time preserve or improve quality of work in general and especially with regard to work–life balance. An executive summary is also available.

Using data from the fifth European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS), this study measures job quality in the 27 countries of the European Union, as well as the seven additional countries in Europe that participated in the survey. The intention was to find an objective means of assessing the principle established in a number of EU directives that work should adapt to the workers. Increased understanding of the social costs of poor job quality has focused attention on physical and social environments at work. Prolonged life expectancy and the ageing of the population suggest jobs will have to be of good quality if more workers are to be persuaded to work longer. Read more in the report.

Using data from the fifth European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS), this study measures job quality in the 27 countries of the European Union, as well as seven additional countries in Europe that participated in the survey. The intention was to find an objective means of assessing the principle established in a number of EU directives that work should adapt to the workers. Increased understanding of the social costs of poor job quality has focused attention on physical and social environments at work. Prolonged life expectancy and the ageing of the population suggest that jobs will have to be of good quality if more workers are to be persuaded to work longer. The indices constructed for this study do not rely on subjective measurement such as preferences and attitudes, but are built on the self-reported features of jobs that are associated with workers’ well-being. An executive summary is available.

This report examines trends in working conditions and employment status in the retail sector in the EU27 countries and Norway between 2001 and 2010. The considerable expansion of the sector over the past 20 years or so is associated with a transformation in its competitive structure, greater use of technology and changes in the regulatory framework. Large companies now dominate at the expense of the numerous small and micro businesses that once characterised the sector in most countries. One result is a significant decline in the number of self-employed workers and a substantial increase in the number of part-time jobs (many held by women) and non-permanent contracts. These changes have affected career patterns and introduced new risks to employees’ health, especially psychosocial ones. Recent initiatives by the social partners have aimed above all to regulate flexibility and working time arrangements, promote training, reduce the risk of robbery and enhance employee well-being. Read more in the report.

This issue of Foundation Focus looks at young people in Europe and particularly how they are affected by the economic crisis. Youth unemployment rates have always been higher than overall unemployment rates, but the crisis has had a dramatic effect on the job perspectives of young people. The growth of the cohort known as NEETs, those not in employment, education or training, is testament to this. There are initiatives to combat the situation, but with mixed results so far. Migration is an option, but does it help in the long run? And what about the working conditions of those who have a job? How easy is it to gain the experience and find training to move into more stable, permanent employment?

The economic and financial crisis of 2008–2010 has impacted on pay in most EU Member States leading to wage deceleration, pay freezes and sometimes pay cuts. The crisis hit vulnerable groups (low-skilled, young, migrants) particularly hard. Data from five key sectors (manufacturing, construction, accommodation and food services, financial services, public administration) reveal more crisis effects on employment than on wages. Cuts in low-paid and temporary jobs, or reductions in their hours, tended to be the first measure adopted while the ‘wage cushion’ often seen in higher-ranking jobs allowed cost savings through cuts in bonuses and other rewards. Cutting wages is also seen as detrimental to worker motivation and retention. Most responses taken were temporary with few trade-offs at company level between wages and other elements of the employment relationship. Read more in the report.

Alcohol and drugs represent a serious problem for a significant percentage of the working population (5%–20% of workers), especially in some sectors and occupations. Consumption of alcohol and drugs at work can have negative impacts for individuals and organisations in terms of health problems, more short-term absenteeism, reduced performance, conflicts, more work accidents, company image problems, and damage to equipment or products. Public authorities and social partners in EU countries have developed national legislation and agreements banning/limiting alcohol/drug use at work, with a focus on testing practices intended to control usage. Public authorities and social partners have also adopted various policy measures to prevent and combat the negative effects of alcohol and drug use at work. Read more in the report.

This report describes current working conditions in the Horeca sector, highlighting the most relevant issues, outlining industrial relations structures and looking at the contribution of the social partners to improving the quality of work and sustainability of the industry. The report is based on contributions from the European Relations Observatory (EIRO) network of correspondents in the EU 27 countries and Norway.

Work plays a significant role in the lives of people, companies and society at large. Since its inception, the European Union has paid considerable attention to work, and improving working conditions is one of its key policy goals. The European Working Conditions Survey series (the ‘EWCS’) aims to: Measure working conditions across European countries on a harmonised basis; analyse relationships between different aspects of working conditions; identify groups at risks and issues of concern, as well as areas of progress; monitor trends over time; and contribute to European policy development, in particular on quality of work and employment issues. An executive summary is available.

Work plays a pivotal role in people’s lives, in the functioning of companies and in society at large. Improving the quality of work and working conditions has long been at the forefront of EU policy, most recently in the Europe 2020 Strategy towards ‘Smart, inclusive and cohesive growth’. The fifth European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) explores topics as diverse as physical risks, working time, gender segregation,work–life balance, employee representation, work organisation, stress at work, skills development and pay, as well as health and well-being. The survey charts trends in working conditions, identifies major risk factors and highlights issues meriting policy attention. Based on interviews with 44,000 workers across 34 European countries, the fifth EWCS represents a rich store of information and analysis on work in all its dimensions in Europe today.

The Korean service sector has grown since the first survey on working conditions was conducted in 2006. The characteristics of the labour market are similar to those of the EU labour market, although long working hours are still a major issue to be tackled, along with discrimination against women, older workers and temporary employees. The principal work-related risk factor is poor ergonomics, particularly in smaller businesses, which have poorer working environments than larger companies. The survey is modelled on Eurofound's European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS).

Following various pan-African initiatives, a new pioneering survey was undertaken to document the current status of working conditions in selected sectors in Mozambique and to draw attention to related policy gaps. The survey was carried out based on the global version of the European Working Conditions Survey which had been developed jointly by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound). A similar survey was also implemented in Tanzania.

Following various pan-African initiatives, a new pioneering survey was undertaken to document the current status of working conditions in selected sectors in Tanzania and to draw attention to related policy gaps. The survey was carried out based on the global version of the European Working Conditions Survey which had been developed jointly by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound). A similar survey was also implemented in Mozambique.

The report provides an overview of the literature on innovative work practices and starts with an inventory of the many practices have been identified as innovative. The analytical part of the paper is based on Eurofound’s own European Company Survey (ECS). The dataset covers 27,160 establishments in 30 countries, probably making it the most extensive dataset ever used for this purpose and the only crossnational attempt. The four performance indicators are used: work climate, the lack of HR problems, labour productivity (compared with competitors) and the economic situation in the establishment. An executive summary is available.

The way an enterprise is managed has been proven to impact on the performance of companies. It is generally assumed that less rigid forms of work organisation are required to cope with more dynamic market conditions and product developments. To a greater extent than before they are intended to accommodate the requirements of a more knowledge intensive and learning workforce. These practices have been introduced primarily to improve performance and thus mirror the move from personnel to human resource management. Read more in the report.

The number of hours worked per week continues to drift downwards, on average – the result of more people working part time, fewer people working long hours, and a fall in the collectively agreed working hours in many countries. Foundation Findings provide pertinent background information and policy pointers for all actors and interested parties engaged in the current European debate on the future of social policy. The contents are based on Foundation research and reflect its autonomous and tripartite structure.

Eurofound’s research on ‘Restructuring in recession and labour force participation’ explored the age management practices of companies in light of restructuring undergone during the recession. The study looked at policy in relation to the retention of older workers (aged 50 or more) in employment at national and establishment levels in nine European Union (EU) Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Country reports and cases studies are available.