Working life research

Barbara Gerstenberger

​Head of Unit

Barbara Gerstenberger er leder af Eurofounds arbejdslivsenhed. I denne rolle koordinerer hun de forskerhold, der undersøger jobkvalitet i Europa på grundlag af den europæiske undersøgelse af arbejdsvilkårene, og har det overordnede ansvar for Det Europæiske Observationscenter for Arbejdsliv og forskning i arbejdsmarkedsrelationer i EU. Hun kom til Eurofound i 2001 som forskningsleder i det dengang nyoprettede Europæiske Overvågningscenter for Forandring (EMCC). I 2007 flyttede hun til Eurofounds informations- og kommunikationsenhed som chef for kommunikationsprodukter, inden hun blev udnævnt til koordinator i direktoratet i 2011. Tidligere arbejdede hun som seniorforsker i European Metalworkers' Federation i Bruxelles. Hun er uddannet i statskundskab fra Hamborg Universitet og har en kandidatgrad i offentlig administration ved Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

Ekspertiseområder

Barbara er ekspert i følgende emner.

Forskningsresultater

Barbara er forfatter til følgende publikationer.

Begivenheder, kommentarer og analyse

Barbara har bidraget til følgende begivenheder, blogindlæg og podcast-episoder.

5 September 2025

Online begivenhed

Watch the webinar - AskTheExpert: Beyond the data - Uncovering persistent inequalities in European working conditions

Eurofound is organising an interactive webinar looking at the first findings of its European Working Conditions Survey 2024, with a live Q&A. Date: 24 September 2025. Time: 15:00 – 16: 00 Irish time (16:00 - 17:00 Central European Time).

30 June 2025

Podcast-episode

Udviklingen i arbejdsvilkårene i Europa

I denne episode undersøges det skiftende landskab for europæiske arbejdsvilkår, der befinder sig i knudepunktet for dybtgående teknologisk transformation. Mary McCaughey taler med Barbara Gerstenberger, Eurofounds kontorchef for arbejdsliv, som udnytter indsigt fra den 35-årige historie med den europæiske undersøgelse af arbejdsvilkårene (EWCS). Denne undersøgelsesserie giver et detaljeret perspektiv på de langsgående skift i europæisk arbejdskraft. Diskussionen vurderer, hvordan kunstig intelligens og digitalisering omformer beskæftigelsen og drager paralleller til historiske industrielle ændringer, samtidig med at arbejdslivets fortsatte tilpasningsevne anerkendes.

14 January 2025

Fysisk begivenhed

Foundation Forum 2025: Europe’s social model – the key to competitive growth

On 19–20 November 2025, Eurofound organised its 8th Foundation Forum at IMMA Venues. It is the agency’s quadrennial high-level flagship event which has been running for the past 20 years and is organised in cooperation with the Irish Government.

4 March 2024

Podcast-episode

Tackling the gender pay and employment gaps

In this special episode of Eurofound Talks for International Women's Day 2024, Mary McCaughey speaks with Eurofound researchers Carlos Vacas and Barbara Gerstenberger about the gender pay and employment gaps in Europe.Despite gender equality being a core principle of the EU, women are less likely to be in employment than men in all EU Member States and are paid less than men in almost every Member State, with the pay gap larger in higher paying jobs. Mary, Carlos, and Barbara discuss what progress has been made on these issues in recent years, the broader consequences of gender inequalities in the world of work, and the challenges that must be addressed if Europe is to meet gender equality targets.

8 February 2023

Podcast-episode

Job quality

The COVID-19 pandemic had profound implications on the labour market and job quality in Europe, with some workers, particularly those providing frontline services, continuing to work from the workplace under heavy restrictions, while others worked from home also in radically different environments from which they were accustomed. Eurofound has been closely monitoring working conditions in Europe for over 30 years via the European Working Conditions Survey; in 2021, the Agency conducted the European Working Conditions Telephone Survey (EWCTS), providing a detailed picture of the working lives of Europeans at an exceptional time. In this episode of Eurofound Talks, Eurofound Head of Unit for Working Life Barbara Gerstenberger discusses what the EWCTS reveals about job quality, the implications of poor-quality jobs on well-being and broader society, and what policymakers can do to improve the working lives of people in Europe.

17 January 2023

Blogindlæg

Job quality is pivotal in addressing today’s workplace and societal challenges

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live and work. With the lifting of restrictions across the globe, we are now able to examine the many repercussions on the world of work. In particular, the unique demands of the last few years have shone a harsh spotlight on the pressures brought to bear on different jobs and on certain work environments and the stresses associated with different forms of work. The pandemic has made us reassess so many aspects of our working lives. But has it changed the way we think about job quality – its role in ensuring a good working life and, indeed, a good life in general? The European Working Conditions Telephone Survey (EWCTS), a representative survey of Europe’s workers conducted by Eurofound in 2021, provides some answers.

9 May 2022

Podcast-episode

Living and working in Europe: Past, present and future

This podcast focuses on our annual update on the state of ‘Living and working in Europe’. It highlights trends and changes – both positive and negative – in the way citizens across the EU work today, and serves as a guide to policymakers at EU and Member State level. Our experts detail these with useful examples and insights which might also help face into the challenges raised by the most recent results from Eurofound’s unique pan-European Living, working and COVID-19 e-survey.

1 December 2021

Podcast-episode

Sustainable work

Never before have we had so much discussion about the way we work, the future of work and how this will impact our lives and those of the next generation. COVID-19 turned everything upside down as we have seen from the results of our unique pan-European Living, working and COVID-19 e-survey and we are still striving to make sense of the new hybrid, blended work experience. Will this in fact mean we can finally work longer and better while still maintaining a good quality of life? This podcast takes a deep dive into the opportunities and challenges associated with what we call ‘sustainable work’.

Other members of the Working life research unit

Find more staff members of the Working life research unit below.

Felix Appler

Research support officer
Working life research

Felix Appler er forskningsstøttemedarbejder i Eurofounds arbejdslivsenhed. Hans arbejde fokuserer på arbejdsmarkedsrelationer, mindstelønninger og opbygning af databaser forbundet med disse emner. Tidligere arbejdede han for Tysklands føderale statistiske kontor (Destatis) og Verdensbanken i Østafrika med husstandsundersøgelser og forskning i arbejdsmarkeder og fattigdom. Felix har en kandidatgrad i økonomi fra universitetet i Bonn.

Angelina Atanasova

Research support officer
Working life research

Angelina Atanasova er forskningsstøttemedarbejder i Eurofounds arbejdslivsenhed. Hendes nuværende forskningsemner omfatter social dialog og arbejdsmarkedsrelationer samt handicaprettigheder. Før hun kom til Eurofound i 2024, arbejdede hun som seniorpolitisk analytiker ved Applied Research and Communications Fund, forsker ved Det Europæiske Sociale Observatorium, forskningsassistent ved KU Leuven og politisk konsulent ved Open Society European Policy Institute. Hun har en ph.d. i EU-ret fra KU Leuven og en MA i offentlig politik fra Central European University. Hendes primære forskningsområder omfatter handicaprettigheder, ligestilling og social inklusion.

Christine Aumayr-Pintar

Senior research manager
Working life research

Christine Aumayr-Pintar er seniorforskningsleder i Eurofounds arbejdslivsenhed. Hun koordinerer Eurofounds forskning i social dialog og arbejdsmarkedsrelationer og fører tilsyn med netværket af Eurofounds korrespondenter (NEC). Hendes primære forskningsekspertise – anskuet fra et komparativt EU-synspunkt – er centreret om mindstelønninger, kollektivt forhandlet løn og løngennemsigtighed mellem kønnene. Før hun kom til Eurofound i 2009, var hun arbejdsmarkeds- og regionaløkonomiforsker ved Joanneum Research i Østrig. Hun har en kandidatgrad i økonomi og en ph.d. i samfundsvidenskab/økonomi efter at have studeret økonomi i Graz, Wien og Jönköping.

Elena Biaggi

Temporary research support officer
Working life research

Elena Biaggi is a temporary research support officer in the Working Life unit at Eurofound. Having completed a traineeship at Eurofound working on digitalisation in SMEs, her current role focuses on working time reduction. Her main research interests include digitalisation and work, how the world of work is changing and how this change impacts working conditions and job quality. Elena has a Master’s degree in Global Politics and Society from the University of Milan.

Jorge Cabrita

Senior research manager
Working life research

Jorge Cabrita is a senior research manager in the Working Life unit. He is responsible for formulating, coordinating and managing European-wide research, and promoting the dissemination of findings in the areas of working conditions and industrial relations. His main research areas of interest include working conditions and job quality, working time and work–life balance, workers’ health and well-being, gender equality and the socioeconomic impacts of the transition to a climate-neutral economy. He is currently leading research on working time developments and on social dialogue and collective bargaining during the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, he worked as a researcher at the Centre for Studies for Social Intervention and at the Research Centre on the Portuguese Economy of the Lisbon School of Economics, and as a trainer and consultant in the areas of strategic management, organisational communication, leadership and team building. He holds a BSc in Economics and an MSc in Socio-Organisational Systems of Economic Activity from the Lisbon School of Economics.

Daphné Chédorge-Farnier

Temporary research support officer
Working life research

Daphné Chédorge-Farnier is a temporary research support officer in the Working Life unit at Eurofound. She contributes to the preparation of the follow-up survey to the European Working Conditions Survey 2024 and is involved in research on working time reduction. Prior to this, she worked as a survey trainee in the Social Policies unit. Before joining Eurofound, Daphné worked as a research officer specialising in working conditions and social policy at the Direction générale de l'administration de la fonction publique (DGAFP) in Paris. She holds a Master’s degree in Sociology from Sorbonne University.

Victoria Cojocariu

Research officer
Working life research

Victoria Cojocariu er forskningsmedarbejder for repræsentativitetsundersøgelserne i Eurofounds arbejdslivsenhed. Hun er ansvarlig for forvaltningen af forskningsinput fra Eurofounds nationale korrespondenter, kvalitetskontrol samt for udarbejdelse af oversigtsrapporter for sektorspecifikke repræsentativitetsundersøgelser og dataopbygning til den europæiske database over arbejdsmarkedets parter. Før hun kom til Eurofound i 2019, arbejdede Victoria som programkoordinator for Open Society Foundation Romania og som forsker for Center for Public Innovation i Bukarest, hvor hun bidrog til nationale og internationale forskningsprojekter inden for migration, uddannelse, adgang til arbejdsmarkedet for tredjelandsstatsborgere samt menneskerettigheder. Hun har en bachelor- og kandidatgrad i sociologi.

Franz Ferdinand Eiffe

Research manager
Working life research

Franz Eiffe er forskningsleder i Eurofounds arbejdslivsenhed. Han er involveret i projekter om bæredygtigt arbejde, kvantitative analyser og opadgående konvergens i EU samt i udarbejdelsen af den fjerde europæiske virksomhedsundersøgelse. Før han kom til Eurofound i 2016, var han kontorchef for "Analyse" hos Østrigs Statistik i Wien og projektleder for "Hvordan er Østrig? Måling af velstand og fremskridt ud over BNP". Han har en ph.d. i økonomi fra Wiens Økonomiske Universitet (WU), hvor han også arbejdede som forskningsassistent fra 2005 til 2009 og lektor indtil 2016.

Manuel Gómez Martín

Administrative assistant
Working life research

Manuel Gómez Martín er administrativ assistent i arbejdslivsenheden. Han er hovedsageligt involveret i arbejdsmarkedsområdet og organiserer specifikt indkøb og møder inden for relaterede projekter. Han har tidligere arbejdet for GD JRC i Europa-Kommissionen og for private virksomheder i London og Spanien.

Peter Kerckhofs

Senior research manager
Working life research

Peter Kerckhofs er seniorforskningsleder i Eurofounds arbejdslivsenhed. Hans arbejde fokuserer på arbejdsmarkedets parters rolle i det europæiske semester og også på national rapportering om udviklingen i arbejdsmarkedsrelationerne. Peter har en bred ekspertise i at udvikle metodologien til repræsentativitetsundersøgelser, anvende europæiske og nationale repræsentativitetskriterier i den specifikke kontekst af forskellige sektorer, samtidig med at han har opbygget et indgående kendskab til arbejdsmarkedsforholdene i forskellige sektorer. Peter har også arbejdet på projekter relateret til europæiske samarbejdsudvalg og den europæiske sektordialog. Før han kom til Eurofound, arbejdede han som forsker for ETUI og UCL, som politisk sekretær for EMCEF og var videnskabelig koordinator for ph.d.-skolen for det samfundsvidenskabelige fakultet ved KU Leuven. Han har en bachelorgrad i socialt arbejde og en kandidatgrad i statskundskab fra KU Leuven og en i internationale relationer fra UCL og har en ph.d. i arbejdsmarkedsrelationer fra University of Manchester.

Sophia MacGoris

Surveys officer
Working life research

Sophia MacGoris er undersøgelsesmedarbejder med base i Eurofounds arbejdslivsenhed. Hun arbejder på alle tre af Eurofounds undersøgelser. Efter at have været involveret i tværnationale undersøgelser i mange år bruger hun sin erfaring og sin tværgående rolle til at sikre kontinuitet i læring og kvalitetssikring på højeste niveau under hele undersøgelsesprocessen. Før hun kom til Eurofound i 1996, arbejdede hun i flere år i Europa-Kommissionen i Bruxelles inden for videnskab, forskning og udvikling. Hun har en BSc (Hons) i samfundsvidenskab med speciale i socialpolitik.

Pietro Malacalza

Research assistant
Working life research

Pietro Malacalza er forskningsassistent i Eurofounds arbejdslivsenhed og har tidligere arbejdet med operationel støtte. Hans arbejde omfatter støtte til netværket af Eurofound-korrespondenter, herunder kvalitetskontrol, opsummering af nationale bidrag til forskningsrapporter og databaser, overvågning af individuelle leverancer og kodning af information i kvalitativ forskningssoftware. Før han kom til Eurofound, arbejdede han som projektledelseskonsulent for Europa-Kommissionens Fælles Forskningscenter (JRC) og arbejdede også i forskellige roller i IT-, luftfarts- og fødevareindustrien. Han har en grad i statskundskab fra universitetet i Milano og en Project Management Professional (PMP) certificering.

Agnès Parent-Thirion

Senior research manager
Working life research

Agnès Parent-Thirion er seniorforskningsleder i Eurofounds arbejdslivsenhed, der har til opgave at planlægge, udvikle og gennemføre forskningsprojekter om arbejdsvilkår, navnlig den europæiske undersøgelse af arbejdsvilkårene (EWCS) og analyserne heraf. Hun er ansvarlig for den ekstraordinære udgave af EWCS 2021 og for udarbejdelsen af spørgeskemaet til EWCS 2024. Hendes forskningsinteresser omfatter arbejdsforhold, jobkvalitet, overvågning af arbejdsvilkår, arbejdstilrettelæggelse, køn, fremtidens arbejde og tid. Hun har arbejdet inden for europæiske sammenlignende undersøgelser i mere end et årti inden for alle aspekter, herunder design, udvikling af spørgeskemaer, feltarbejde, kvalitetskontrol og analyse. Hun er uddannet i økonomi og ledelse fra Paris IX Dauphine og Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne universiteter og har en postgraduate diplom i statistik fra Trinity College Dublin. Hun har for nylig gennemført onlinekurser om kunstig intelligens: undersøgelsesdrevet ledelse med MIT Sloan Executive Education og 'Les grand enjeux de la transition: re-ouvrir l'horizon, comprendre pour agir' med Campus de la Transition. Før hun kom til Eurofound, arbejdede hun i en årrække i Europa-Kommissionen.

Sara Riso

Senior research manager
Working life research

Sara Riso joined Eurofound in 2006 and is currently a senior research manager in the Working Life unit. She is engaged in research projects focusing on digitalisation and working conditions. Before joining Eurofound, Sara managed research projects for large Brussels-based European associations and networks. Her academic background is in psychology, communication and languages. Her main research interest lies in exploring new workplace stressors arising from increased digitalisation of work, evolving organisational practices, and change management strategies to address the challenges posed by digitalisation in modern working environments.

Mária Sedláková

Research officer
Working life research

Mária Sedláková er forskningsmedarbejder i Eurofounds arbejdslivsenhed. Hun er ansvarlig for udarbejdelse af oversigtsrapporter for sektorrepræsentativitetsundersøgelser, styring og kvalitetskontrol af national rapportering om arbejdsmarkedsrelationer, social dialog og arbejdsliv samt udvikling af et projekt om kollektive forhandlinger ud over løn. Før hun kom til Eurofound, arbejdede hun som teknisk forskningsmedarbejder i afdelingen for regeringsførelse og trepartssamarbejde i Den Internationale Arbejdsorganisation i Genève på flagskibsrapporten om den sociale dialog 2022. Hun arbejdede også som forsker ved Central European Labour Studies Institute i Bratislava (2013-2020) med fokus på social dialog, kollektive forhandlinger, arbejdsvilkår og arbejdssociologi. Maria har en kandidatgrad i statskundskab med speciale i komparativ europæisk politik fra Central European University.

Oscar Vargas Llave

Senior research manager
Working life research

Oscar Vargas Llave is a senior research manager in the Working Life unit at Eurofound and manages projects on changes in the world of work and the impact on working conditions and related policies: organisation of working time, remote work, the right to disconnect, health and well-being and ageing. Before joining Eurofound in December 2009, he worked as project coordinator in the field of health and safety and was responsible for the Professional Card Scheme for the Construction Sector in Spain at the non-profit Fundación Laboral de la Construcción in Madrid. He has a background in industrial sociology (Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca), and also holds a Diploma in Social Science Research Methods from the University of Cardiff and a Master’s degree in Health and Safety from the Autonomous University of Madrid.

Tina Weber

Senior research manager
Working life research

Tina Weber is a senior research manager in Eurofound’s Working Life unit. Her work has focused on labour shortages, the impact of hybrid work and an ‘always on’ culture and the right to disconnect, working conditions and social protection measures for self-employed workers and the impact of the twin transitions on employment, working conditions and industrial relations. She is responsible for studies assessing the representativeness of European social partner organisations. She has also carried out research on European Works Councils and the evolution of industrial relations and social dialogue in the European Union. Prior to joining Eurofound in 2019, she worked for a private research institute primarily carrying out impact assessments and evaluations of EU labour law and labour market policies. Tina holds a PhD in Political Sciences from the University of Edinburgh which focussed on the role of national trade unions and employers’ organisations in the European social dialogue.

Documents

The following documents are available for download.

CV and DOI

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European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions
The tripartite EU agency providing knowledge to assist in the development of better social, employment and work-related policies