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Labour and social regulation

Labour and social regulation covers the legal framework and fundamental social rights that regulates industrial relations, employment and social policies across Europe. It includes national, EU and international legislation.  Union labour law has a direct or indirect impact on the normative and functional frameworks of individual and collective labour law systems of the Member States in a relationship of mutual interference and interaction.  Increasingly Union labour laws are also shaped by agreements that the parties voluntarily enter into and by soft law mechanisms.  The reform or modernising of labour law is currently high on the agenda in several Member States.

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Regulatory responses to algorithmic management in the EU

Since 2013, Eurofound's ERM database on restructuring-related legislation has been documenting regulatory developments in the Member States of the European Union and Norway. The most recent update to the database...

Article
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Pojem „hybridní práce“ se popularizoval s nárůstem práce na dálku během pandemie covidu-19, kdy společnosti a zaměstnanci začali diskutovat o způsobech organizace práce po této zdravotní krizi. Pojem se stále...

25 Květen 2023
Publication
Research report

Eurofound research

Eurofound has monitored legislative developments in industrial relations, working conditions and restructuring in Europe over time and from a comparative perspective across the Member States. The Agency’s work in this area seeks to assist decision-makers to better understand the legal framework for creating policy. It has also put resources in place to assist audiences in understanding the sometimes complex and difficult terminology used.

EU context

This topic covers the legal framework that regulates industrial relations and employment across Europe, including EU legislation and the fundamental labour standards that need to be taken into account.

Legislation is crucial in shaping how Europeans work and live. It is the basis for ensuring better working conditions, equitable labour relations, and equal opportunities for all citizens.

Publications results (81)

Smartphone car service Uber, a successful company example of the sharing economy, has spread to many EU Member States in recent years. However, many employers and unions are concerned about its challenge to fair competition for other businesses in the sector and about the erosion of working

25 January 2016

The need to reform pension systems is one of the key challenges for social policymakers in Europe. This article provides an update of how the EU 28 and Norway are tackling this issue in the face of demographic change, focusing in particular on the involvement of the social partners and governments.

02 October 2015

The Commission has decided to withdraw its draft Maternity Leave Directive, which has been stuck in the legislative process since 2008. This article describes key developments and explores some of the contradictions that were predicted in the Commission’s 2015 Work Programme and the Better

14 July 2015

The Maternity Leave Directive (92/85/EEC) is concerned with improvements in the safety and health at work of women who are pregnant, have recently given birth or who are breastfeeding. This report finds that nearly all Member States comply with the directive’s provision of granting at least two

13 July 2015

This article presents some of the key developments and research findings on individual employment relations in the EU during the third and fourth quarters of 2014. Employment protection legislation and the termination of employment are the main focus of this report.

06 March 2015

This article presents some of the key developments and research findings in the EU during the first quarter of 2014. It features trends in pay, collective wage bargaining, wage-setting mechanisms and issues around minimum wages and equal pay.

18 February 2015

This article presents some of the key developments and research findings on pay in the EU during the second quarter of 2014. Post-crisis shifts in pay levels, national debates on the minimum wage and research into the gender pay gap are the main focus of this report.

18 February 2015

This article presents some of the key developments and research findings on aspects of individual employment relations in the EU during the second quarter of 2014. The protection of trainees and the prevention of social welfare benefit fraud are the main focus of this report.

18 February 2015

This article presents some of the key developments and research findings on aspects of individual employment relations in the EU during the first quarter of 2014. The terms and conditions of employment, entitlements and obligations and aspects related to the termination of the employment

18 February 2015

This article presents some of the key developments and research findings on EU-level developments in industrial relations and working conditions during the second quarter of 2014. European Parliament decisions and debates, developments regarding health at work and e-health, and the Youth Employment

18 February 2015

Online resources results (794)

Slovakia: Latest working life developments – Q3 2016

Differences between social partners on a proposal to increase the minimum wage, demands by industrial trade unions for higher wages and strike action by teachers are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in Slovakia in the

United Kingdom: Latest working life developments – Q3 2016

The Prime Minister’s statements on Brexit at the Conservative Party conference, labour market developments and the latest developments in the junior doctors’ dispute are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in the United

Czech Republic: Latest working life developments - Q3 2016

Significant wage increases in many sectors, positive results from public opinion surveys, amendment of the Labour Code and easier rules on employing low-qualified Ukrainian workers are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life

Sweden: Latest working life developments – Q3 2016

A proposal to change the state pension age, suggested changes to requirements for public procurement contracts and an increase in the use of permanent employment contracts are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in

Spain: Latest working life developments – Q3 2016

A slight fall in unemployment and trade union concerns over labour precariousness, and the need for social partners to reach agreement on a new salary pact are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in Spain in the third

France: Latest working life developments – Q3 2016

Adoption of a major labour law reform, problems over negotiations on the national collective agreement on unemployment insurance and the continuing fight against the illegal posting of workers are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in

Sweden: Work-related diseases more often caused by social factors

Work-related diseases due to organisational and social factors are increasing in Sweden, according to the Swedish Environment Authority. Since 2011, diseases due to these factors have increased by 77%. This, plus a recent spike in sick leave, has sparked a debate on how best to combat ill-health in

Norway: Equal treatment of temporary agency workers

An evaluation of the implementation of Norwegian regulations transposing the directive on temporary agency work concluded that the ‘equal treatment’ principle had led to more equality, in practice, but that challenges remained in smaller temporary work agencies and where agencies were hiring out

Greece: Public opinion and social dialogue on labour market reforms

Ahead of further negotiations on the terms of the Greek bailout, two recent surveys are directly linked to the issues under negotiation and reflect the views of public opinion. The government has also organised tripartite meetings with social partners in an attempt to seek mutually acceptable

Norway: New legislation on temporary layoffs

New regulations on temporary layoffs have been introduced by the Norwegian Government at the request of the social partners. The new legislation extends the maximum duration of temporary layoffs, aiming to avoid unnecessary direct layoffs in a time of rising unemployment.


Blogs results (12)
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The European Platform Tackling Undeclared Work last year documented the case of a Dutch temporary work agency that hired workers of various nationalities to work for a construction company in Belgium. The wages were suspiciously low, and the Belgian Labour Inspectorate believed that EU law

17 Červenec 2019
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The European Union (EU) has strong legislation in place that protects workers from being exploited and also enables businesses to engage in fair competition. Workers are mobile and can move freely within the EU single market across borders – without being dependent upon traffickers. Yet, the latest

3 Květen 2016

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