Lehmann, Štěpánka

The increasing digitalisation of the labour market, the abolition of the unpaid sick leave period, efforts to improve wage levels for foreign workers and reactions to the European Semester country report for Czechia are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in Czechia in the first quarter of 2019.

The government’s strategic document on digitalisation, uncertainty surrounding the abolition of the unpaid sick leave period, and a survey on perceptions of the main social partners are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in the Czech Republic in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Labour force shortages, companies’ attitudes about the union proposal to shorten working hours and discussions over the minimum wage and wage increases are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in the Czech Republic in the third quarter of 2018.

The new government taking office, a new low for the unemployment rate, the end of cheap labour and a call for more foreign workers are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in the Czech Republic in the second quarter of 2018.

Working time is a recurrent topic of study because the nature of work, its content, the conditions under which it is performed and the labour market itself keep changing. This report provides an overview of the recent evolution of working time duration and organisation in the EU and highlights the most important trends and differences between Member States.

The German national statutory minimum wage for international truck drivers has caused considerable controversy. Some Member States fear it will damage the competitiveness of companies sending drivers to destinations via Germany. However, it is important to find a balance between promoting the free movement of goods and ensuring appropriate protection for workers.

Research findings presented during a conference on informal caregivers in the Czech Republic revealed the difficulties that workers providing long-term care face in participating in the labour force due to a lack of flexible working regimes and part-time jobs.

Job satisfaction in the Czech Republic has fallen, but only slightly, according to a 2014 survey of more than 1,000 people. Respondents also felt relationships in the workplace had worsened since 2013. They were less satisfied with their pay too compared with the previous year, but felt their job security had improved.

A survey of employers in the Czech Republic has revealed that large numbers of foreign workers are being hired to fill skills gaps across the country. Demographic development, rapid technological change, new approaches to work and the globalisation of labour markets appear to have resulted in a lack of qualified workers for specific positions. The employer survey was conducted by ManpowerGroup [1], one of the leading employment and recruitment agencies in the Czech Republic. The survey focused on opinion and experiences from employers about the employment of foreign residents. It asked about the benefits of hiring workers from this segment of the labour force. [1] http://www.manpowergroup.cz/

The percentage of self-employed people in the Czech Republic (17.9%) is relatively high compared to the EU average of 15.5%. Beyond these Eurostat [1] figures, however, information on this category of workers is limited. [1] http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/about_eurostat/introduction