Discrimination at work

The principle of equal treatment requires that all people, and in the context of the workplace all workers, have the right to receive the same treatment, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of criteria such as gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation. EU law prohibits discrimination on an increasing number of grounds, meaning that it is difficult for employers to treat people differently without encountering a charge of discrimination and needing to establish an objective justification for doing so. Equal treatment is one of the main principles of the Pillar of Social Rights.

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Últimas novedades

Encuentre el contenido más reciente sobre este tema a continuación.

Informe de investigación

22 November 2023

Psychosocial risks to workers' well-being: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic
+5
Lise Szekérand 8 other authors

Psychosocial risks represent a major challenge to the health and well-being of workers in the EU. While the COVID-19 pandemic intensified some of these risks, it also increased awareness of them among policymakers. Using data from the European Working Conditions Telephone Survey 2021 and building on a theoretical model that differentiates between job stressors and job resources, this report examines key psychosocial risks in the workplace and their impact on health. It also assesses job characteristics that could help to protect workers’ health and well-being in post-pandemic workplaces. While the prevalence of psychosocial risks varies across the Member States, work–life interference and work intensity are the most widespread risks in the EU, and the prevalence of the latter increased during the pandemic. Job stressors such as adverse social behaviour and job insecurity continue to be experienced by a significant proportion of workers in the EU. Although resources are available to combat some risks, these may not be sufficient, and preventive policies need to be implemented to prevent risks from arising in the first place.

Artículo

4 November 2020

Member States are dawdling on gender pay transparency
Catherine Cerf,
Christine Aumayr-Pintar
The gender pay gap in gross hourly earnings in the EU was 14.8% in 2018. To help combat discriminatory pay practices by employers, the European Commission recommended in 2014 the introduction of pay transparency measures in all Member States. But more than half still have not implemented any such measures. Ursula von der Leyen announced in 2019 the Commission’s intention to table measures introducing binding pay transparency measures as part of new anti-discrimination legislation. Where do Member States currently stand on the agenda?
Informe personalizado

30 August 2020

Role of social partners in tackling discrimination at work
Tina Weber,
Catherine Cerf

This report assesses the role of the social partners in tackling workplace discrimination. Against the background of EU and national anti-discrimination legislation, it highlights the extent to which the need to tackle discrimination on different grounds is on the radar of cross-sectoral social partners. It also provides an overview of the measures taken to deal with the persistent incidence of discrimination on the grounds of age, disability, race or ethnic origin, religion or belief, and sexual orientation or gender identity.

Expertos en Discrimination at work

Los investigadores de Eurofound proporcionan conocimientos expertos y se les puede contactar para preguntas o solicitudes de los medios de comunicación.

Karel Fric

Research officer
Social policies research

Karel Fric es investigador de la unidad de Políticas Sociales de Eurofound. Su trabajo incluye la investigación de encuestas, el análisis de datos y la gestión de proyectos, con un enfoque particular en las condiciones de trabajo y de vida, la igualdad y la discriminación. Anteriormente trabajó como investigador en la Agencia de los Derechos Fundamentales de la Unión Europea en Viena, Austria, y en Panteia, una organización de investigación y consultoría con sede en Zoetermeer, Países Bajos. Karel tiene un doctorado en Ciencias Sociales de la Universidad Erasmus de Rotterdam y una maestría en Economía de la Universidad de Utrecht.

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.

Agnès Parent-Thirion

Senior research manager
Working life research

Agnès Parent-Thirion es directora de investigación sénior en la unidad de Vida Laboral de Eurofound, encargada de la planificación, el desarrollo y la ejecución de proyectos de investigación sobre las condiciones de trabajo, en particular la Encuesta Europea sobre las Condiciones de Trabajo (EWCS) y sus análisis. Es responsable de la edición extraordinaria de la EWCS 2021 y de la preparación del cuestionario para la EWCS 2024. Sus intereses de investigación incluyen las condiciones de trabajo, la calidad del empleo, el seguimiento de las condiciones de trabajo, la organización del trabajo, el género, el futuro del trabajo y el tiempo. Lleva más de una década trabajando en el área de encuestas comparativas europeas, en todos los aspectos, incluido el diseño, el desarrollo de cuestionarios, el trabajo de campo, el control de calidad y el análisis. Es licenciada en economía y gestión por las universidades Paris IX Dauphine y Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne y tiene un Diploma de Postgrado en Estadística por el Trinity College de Dublín. Recientemente ha completado cursos en línea sobre inteligencia artificial: liderazgo basado en la investigación con MIT Sloan Executive Education y 'Les grand enjeux de la transition: re-ouvrir l'horizon, comprendre pour agir' con el Campus de la Transition. Antes de incorporarse a Eurofound, trabajó durante varios años en la Comisión Europea.

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