Publications

This report describes Eurofound's activities, particularly its research, information and communication programmes and policy achievements, in relation to the objectives set in the Work Programme 2020. It also covers the management and external evaluation control systems, key performance indicators, and financial and HR information.

Die EU unterstützt seit jeher Innovation in Unternehmen und am Arbeitsplatz. Aufgrund der Herausforderungen, mit denen Europa, das gerade aus der COVID-19 - Krise herausgeht, konfrontiert ist, ist der Innovationsbedarf noch dringlicher geworden. Voraussetzung für den Aufbauplan NextGenerationEU ist eine Neuausrichtung von Geschäftsaktivitäten auf Innovation für Resilienz. Längerfristig gesehen soll mit Strategien wie der Europäischen Industriestrategie der Übergang zu einer grünen und digitalen Wirtschaft gefördert werden.

As we leave behind the lockdowns and business disruptions of COVID-19 and enter a ‘new normal’, it is time to talk about how workplaces might be transformed to drive innovation. Some may baulk at this suggestion, as we continue to grapple with the pandemic fallout, but crises have always been a cradle for change, creating a space to reflect on the things that are not working and to find solutions to them. Innovation is critical now as Europe faces into the transition to a green and digital economy. Businesses will have to develop processes, products and business models that are compatible with a climate-neutral future. They will have to digitalise across their operations and outputs, and do so fast to stay abreast of the competition.

Vaccine acceptance is key to the success of COVID-19 vaccination campaigns worldwide. Worryingly, over a quarter of people living in Europe are hesitant about taking a COVID-19 vaccine, and the level of hesitancy is especially high among heavy users of social media. The spread of misinformation on social media is an obstacle to reaching the goal of herd immunity against the coronavirus. Strategies to communicate clear and unbiased political and scientific information are needed to counter the effect of misinformation.

COVID-19 has shown that some things can hit us out of the blue. The pandemic sent a shockwave through businesses all over the world and has brought massive changes to work organisation, internal communication and day-to-day operations for many companies. Doubtless, the depth of the pandemic’s impact on workplaces depended on many factors: the nature of the business, for instance, or the sector of activity. But are there any lessons to be learnt about the factors that helped some organisations to navigate through the crisis more smoothly than others?

With its proposed directive on gender pay transparency, the European Commission has significantly bolstered the set of tools for delivering its objectives compared to those presented in its 2014 Recommendation. The proposed portfolio of measures addresses many shortcomings of the instruments that national authorities currently employ. And while some issues will still require clarification, further reflection or debate during the negotiations, the proposal is a truly European one: it draws on good practice from the policies of different countries rather than taking the approach of just one as a blueprint.

Dieser Bericht bietet eine Zusammenfassung, wie in dem von der COVID-19-Pandemie gekennzeichneten Jahr 2020 die Mindestlohnsätze für 2021 festgelegt wurden. Es werden die Schwierigkeiten beleuchtet, denen sich nationale Entscheidungsträger gegenübersahen, und es wird untersucht, wie sie auf die Herausforderungen der wirtschaftlichen und sozialen Folgen der Pandemie im Rahmen ihrer Entscheidungen bezüglich des Mindestlohns reagiert haben. Es wird bestimmt, in welchem Umfang in COVID-19-bedingten Unterstützungsmaßnahmen auf Mindestlöhne Bezug genommen wurde.

Decision-makers approached minimum wage setting for 2021 cautiously due to the economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic. Despite this, nominal statutory minimum wages rose in most Member States and the UK, although at lower rates than in recent years.

The massive and rapid adoption of telework in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 lockdowns exposed gaps in the legislation governing telework arrangements across the EU Member States. In some cases, there was no regulation in place; in others, it was too restrictive. Governments scrambled to put temporary measures in place to cover the emergency situation and the urgent need to enable workers to work from home. Now that the pandemic is receding and wholesale telework seems to be here to stay, governments are faced with the need to properly regulate such arrangements. Member States are following different paths, but the EU might step in to promote some level of standardisation.

Die dritte Runde der elektronischen Erhebung von Eurofound, die im Februar und März 2021 durchgeführt wurde, gibt Aufschluss über die soziale und wirtschaftliche Situation der Menschen in Europa, nachdem sie fast ein ganzes Jahr lang mit den coronabedingten Einschränkungen gelebt haben. In diesem Bericht werden die wichtigsten Ergebnisse analysiert und die laufenden Entwicklungen und Trends in den 27 EU-Mitgliedstaaten seit dem Beginn der Erhebung im April 2020 verfolgt.