Working life research

Christine Aumayr-Pintar

Senior research manager

Christine Aumayr-Pintar on Eurofoundi tööelu üksuse vanemuuringute juht. Ta koordineerib Eurofoundi uuringuid sotsiaaldialoogi ja töösuhete kohta ning teostab järelevalvet Eurofoundi korrespondentide võrgustiku üle. Tema peamine teadustöö – mida vaadeldakse kogu ELi hõlmavast võrdlevast vaatenurgast – keskendub miinimumpalgale, kollektiivselt kokkulepitud palgale ja soolise tasustamise läbipaistvusele. Enne Eurofoundiga liitumist 2009. aastal töötas ta Austrias Joanneum Researchis tööturgude ja regionaalmajanduse uurijana. Ta on omandanud magistrikraadi majanduses ja doktorikraadi sotsiaalteadustes/majandusteadustes, olles õppinud majandust Grazis, Viinis ja Jönköpingis.

Ekspertvaldkonnad

Christine on ekspert järgmistes teemades.

Uuringu tulemused

Christine on järgmiste väljaannete autor.

Üritused, kommentaarid ja analüüs

Christine on panustanud järgmistele üritustele, blogipostitustele ja podcasti osadesse.

10 January 2024

Podcasti osa

Are minimum wages in Europe adequate and effective?

The latest episode of Eurofound Talks, recorded shortly before Eurofound publishes its harmonised analysis of 2024 minimum wage developments, looks at the changes to minimum wages in 2023. Mary McCaughey speaks with Eurofound experts Christine Aumayr-Pintar and Carlos Vacas-Soriano about the adequacy of minimum wages in Europe as they stand at the moment, how the EU has sought to improve the situation of low-wage earners through a Directive on adequate minimum wages, and how widespread the issue of minimum wage non-compliance is in the European Union.

15 June 2022

Blogipostitus

How to ensure adequate minimum wages in an age of inflation

Minimum wages have risen significantly in 2022, as the EU Member States leave behind the cautious mood of the pandemic. However, rising inflation is eating up these wage increases, and only flexibility in the regular minimum wage setting processes may avoid generalised losses in purchasing power among minimum wage earners. On 6 June 2022, the Council of the EU and the European Parliament reached a political agreement on the Directive on adequate minimum wages proposed by the Commission in October 2020. Once formally approved, EU Member States will have to transpose it into national law within two years.

9 June 2022

Podcasti osa

Minimum wages

Minimum wages and minimum wage setting processes are not just issues of high political importance in Europe, but also everyday concerns for low-wage earners throughout the EU. In this episode of Eurofound Talks we speak with Senior Research Manager Christine Aumayr-Pintar on the importance of minimum wages in the EU, different processes in place, the latest EU developments in ensuring adequate minimum wages, and the growing issue of inflation for low-wage earners.

18 June 2021

Blogipostitus

Gender pay transparency: Advancing the cause through a truly European proposal

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.

8 June 2021

Blogipostitus

Minimum wages rise again, but the pandemic puts a brake on their growth

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.

6 November 2020

Blogipostitus

Are simple statistics enough? On the benefits of gender pay reports and audits

Following a sluggish response by many Member States to introduce or modify gender pay transparency measures, as it recommended in 2014, the European Commission intends to table a proposal for EU-level legislation on pay transparency later in 2020. In this context, a new Eurofound study investigated whether key people at company level see these measures as useful or beneficial. The results show that the richer pay audits are favoured over the simpler pay reports in terms of their perceived usefulness. Both managers and employee representatives agree on this.

28 October 2020

Blogipostitus

New impetus to collective bargaining: Insights from the ECS

In the context of the ongoing trend of a fall in collective bargaining coverage, and recent calls at EU level to promote collective bargaining coverage as an instrument to support fair and decent wages, new data from Eurofound’s fourth European Company Survey (ECS) show that two-thirds of workers (in private sector establishments with more than 10 employees in the EU) are estimated to have their wages set via a collective wage agreement.

15 January 2020

Blogipostitus

Fears and hopes around future minimum wages

As one of their ‘100 days in office’ initiatives, the new European Commission intends to propose an initiative for an EU minimum wage. The aim is that by 2024 every worker in the EU should earn a fair and adequate wage, no matter where they live.

17 April 2019

Blogipostitus

Seniority entitlements: A policy of the past, or a fix for the future?

Seniority entitlements have largely been on the decline since the 1990s, and have been gradually phased-out from legislation in Europe, as well as in collective agreements. However, it would be premature to dismiss seniority-based entitlements as a thing of the past, as they remain in force across Europe, even if the more expansive term of ‘relevant experience’ is preferred. As we look to the future, we ask whether seniority-based entitlements have a renewed role in a European labour market challenged by demographic ageing and a need to keep people working for longer, or whether they are a relic of the past that contribute to inter-generational inequity, under-performance, and lower employment prospects of older workers.

4 February 2019

Blogipostitus

Slow start for gender pay transparency in Germany

One year after Germany’s introduction of the Entgelttransparenzgesetz (Wage Transparency Act), the results are somewhat underwhelming. This law is Germany’s take on the European Commission’s recommendation on introducing pay transparency measures to combat the gender pay gap.

11 October 2018

Blogipostitus

Progress in paternity and parental leave for fathers – Are baby steps enough?

Few events challenge the equilibrium between work and life like the arrival of a child. As gender roles continue to change in Europe, supporting the uptake of paternity and parental leave among fathers is fundamental, not just to close the ‘caring gap’ between men and women, but also to provide the best possible outlook for coming generations.

28 February 2018

Blogipostitus

Ten points about pay transparency in Europe’s companies

Measures to promote gender pay transparency haven’t been delivered yet in half of Europe – making EU level legislative action to speed up implementation an option. In this blog, originally posted in Social Europe, Christine Aumayr-Pintar details what we know about the measures from countries that have been early adopters.

3 November 2017

Blogipostitus

Pay inequalities come back into focus in post-crisis Europe

The ability to make ends meet is a vital issue for many Europeans and an important priority for European policymakers. In the immediate aftermath of the 2008 economic crisis the initial focus was to mitigate and reverse job loss, particularly in the countries most affected. With employment back to pre-crisis levels and unemployment on the decline, attention is turning to income inequality, and in particular pay inequality; an issue with ramifications beyond the labour market, and one which may well prove as intractable as the issue of unemployment in the previous decade.

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 on Eurofoundi tööelu üksuse teadusuuringute tugiametnik. Tema töö keskendub töösuhetele, miinimumpalgale ja nende teemadega seotud andmebaaside loomisele. Varem töötas ta Saksamaa Föderaalses Statistikaametis (Destatis) ja Maailmapangas Ida-Aafrikas, viies läbi leibkondade uuringuid ning uuringuid tööturgude ja vaesuse kohta. Felixil on magistrikraad majanduses Bonni ülikoolist.

Angelina Atanasova

Research support officer
Working life research

Angelina Atanasova on Eurofoundi tööelu üksuse teadusuuringute tugiametnik. Tema praegused uurimisteemad hõlmavad sotsiaalset dialoogi ja töösuhteid, samuti puuetega inimeste õigusi. Enne Eurofoundiga liitumist 2024. aastal töötas ta vanempoliitikaanalüütikuna rakendusuuringute ja kommunikatsiooni fondis, teadurina Euroopa sotsiaalvaatluskeskuses, teadurina KU Leuvenis ja poliitikakonsultandina Euroopa Avatud Ühiskonna Poliitika Instituudis. Tal on doktorikraad ELi õiguses KU Leuvenist ja magistrikraad avaliku poliitika alal Kesk-Euroopa Ülikoolist. Tema peamised huvivaldkonnad on puuetega inimeste õigused, sooline võrdõiguslikkus ja sotsiaalne kaasatus.

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 on Eurofoundi tööelu üksuse esindusuuringute teadur. Ta vastutab Eurofoundi riiklike korrespondentide uurimissisendi haldamise ja kvaliteedikontrolli eest, samuti aitab ta koostada ülevaatearuandeid valdkondlike esindavusuuringute jaoks ja koguda andmeid Euroopa sotsiaalpartnerite andmebaasi jaoks. Enne Eurofoundiga liitumist 2019. aastal töötas Victoria Rumeenia Avatud Ühiskonna Sihtasutuse programmi koordinaatorina ja Bukaresti avaliku innovatsiooni keskuse teadurina, aidates kaasa riiklikele ja rahvusvahelistele teadusprojektidele rände, hariduse, kolmandate riikide kodanike tööturule juurdepääsu ja inimõiguste valdkonnas. Tal on bakalaureuse- ja magistrikraad sotsioloogias.

Franz Ferdinand Eiffe

Research manager
Working life research

Franz Eiffe on Eurofoundi tööelu üksuse teadusjuht. Ta osaleb projektides, mis käsitlevad jätkusuutlikku tööd, kvantitatiivseid analüüse ja ülespoole suunatud lähenemist ELis, samuti neljanda Euroopa ettevõtete uuringu ettevalmistamises. Enne Eurofoundiga liitumist 2016. aastal oli ta Viinis Austria statistikaameti analüüsiüksuse juhataja ja projekti "Kuidas läheb Austrial? Jõukuse ja progressi mõõtmine SKPst kaugemale". Tal on doktorikraad majanduses Viini Majandusülikoolist (WU), kus ta töötas aastatel 2005–2009 ka teadurina ja kuni 2016. aastani õppejõuna.

Barbara Gerstenberger

​Head of Unit
Working life research

Barbara Gerstenberger on Eurofoundi tööelu üksuse juhataja. Selles rollis koordineerib ta uurimisrühmi, kes uurivad töökohtade kvaliteeti Euroopas, tuginedes Euroopa töötingimuste uuringule, ning tal on üldine vastutus Euroopa tööelu vaatluskeskuse ja ELi töösuhete uurimise eest. Ta liitus Eurofoundiga 2001. aastal teadusuuringute juhina tollal vastloodud Euroopa Muutuste Seirekeskuses (EMCC). 2007. aastal asus ta üle Eurofoundi teabe- ja kommunikatsiooniüksusesse kommunikatsioonitoodete juhiks, enne kui ta määrati 2011. aastal direktoraadi koordinaatoriks. Varem töötas ta Brüsselis Euroopa Metallitööliste Föderatsiooni vanemteadurina. Ta on lõpetanud Hamburgi ülikooli politoloogia erialal ja omandanud magistrikraadi avaliku halduse alal Harvardi ülikooli Kennedy valitsuskoolis.

Manuel Gómez Martín

Administrative assistant
Working life research

Manuel Gómez Martín on tööelu üksuse haldusassistent. Ta tegeleb peamiselt töösuhete valdkonnaga ning korraldab konkreetselt hankeid ja kohtumisi seotud projektide raames. Varem on ta töötanud Euroopa Komisjoni Teadusuuringute Ühiskeskuse peadirektoraadis ning Londonis ja Hispaanias asuvates eraettevõtetes.

Peter Kerckhofs

Senior research manager
Working life research

Peter Kerckhofs on Eurofoundi tööelu üksuse vanemuuringute juht. Tema töö keskendub sotsiaalpartnerite rollile Euroopa poolaastas ja ka riiklikele aruannetele töösuhete arengu kohta. Peteril on laialdased teadmised representatiivsusuuringute metoodika väljatöötamisel, Euroopa ja riiklike esindavuskriteeriumide rakendamisel erinevate sektorite konkreetses kontekstis, kogudes samal ajal ka põhjalikke teadmisi töösuhete maastikust erinevates sektorites. Peter on töötanud ka Euroopa töönõukogude ja Euroopa valdkondliku sotsiaaldialoogiga seotud projektidega. Enne Eurofoundiga liitumist töötas ta ETUI ja UCL-i teadlasena, EMCEFi poliitikasekretärina ning KU Leuveni sotsiaalteaduste teaduskonna doktorikooli teaduskoordinaatorina. Tal on bakalaureusekraad sotsiaaltöös ja magistrikraad politoloogias KU Leuvenist ja üks rahvusvahelistes suhetes UCL-ist ning doktorikraad töösuhetes Manchesteri ülikoolist.

Sophia MacGoris

Surveys officer
Working life research

Sophia MacGoris on Eurofoundi tööelu üksuse mõõdistusametnik. Ta tegeleb kõigi kolme Eurofoundi uuringuga. Olles aastaid osalenud riikidevahelistes uuringutes, kasutab ta oma kogemusi ja valdkonnaülest rolli, et tagada õppimise järjepidevus ja kvaliteedi tagamine kõrgeimal tasemel kogu uuringuprotsessi vältel. Enne Eurofoundiga liitumist 1996. aastal töötas ta mitu aastat Euroopa Komisjonis Brüsselis teaduse, uurimis- ja arendustegevuse valdkonnas. Tal on bakalaureusekraad sotsiaalteadustes, spetsialiseerudes sotsiaalpoliitikale.

Pietro Malacalza

Research assistant
Working life research

Pietro Malacalza on Eurofoundi tööelu üksuse teadusassistent, kes on varem töötanud operatiivtoe valdkonnas. Tema töö hõlmab Eurofoundi korrespondentide võrgustiku toetamist, sealhulgas kvaliteedikontrolli, riiklike panuste kokkuvõtete tegemist uurimisaruannete ja andmebaaside jaoks, üksikute tulemuste jälgimist ja teabe kodeerimist kvalitatiivses uurimistarkvaras. Enne Eurofoundiga liitumist töötas ta Euroopa Komisjoni Teadusuuringute Ühiskeskuses projektijuhtimise konsultandina ning töötas ka erinevates rollides IT-, kosmose- ja toiduainetööstuses. Tal on Milano ülikooli politoloogiakraad ja projektijuhtimise professionaali (PMP) sertifikaat.

Agnès Parent-Thirion

Senior research manager
Working life research

Agnès Parent-Thirion on Eurofoundi tööelu üksuse vanemteadusjuht, kelle ülesandeks on töötingimuste uurimisprojektide, eelkõige Euroopa töötingimuste uuringu (EWCS) ja selle analüüside kavandamine, arendamine ja rakendamine. Ta vastutab Euroopa töötingimuste uuringu 2021. aasta erakorralise väljaande ja 2024. aasta töötingimuste uuringu küsimustiku koostamise eest. Tema uurimishuvid hõlmavad töötingimusi, töö kvaliteeti, töötingimuste jälgimist, töökorraldust, sugu, töö tulevikku ja aega. Ta on töötanud Euroopa võrdlevate uuringute valdkonnas üle kümne aasta, sealhulgas kavandamise, küsimustike väljatöötamise, välitööde, kvaliteedikontrolli ja analüüsi valdkonnas. Ta on lõpetanud majanduse ja juhtimise eriala Pariisi IX Dauphine'i ja Pariisi I Panthéon Sorbonne'i ülikoolidest ning tal on Dublini Trinity College'i statistika magistrikraad. Ta on hiljuti läbinud tehisintellekti veebikursused: uurimuslik juhtimine MIT Sloan Executive Educationis ja "Les grand enjeux de la transition: re-ouvrir l'horizon, comprendre pour agir" koos Campus de la Transitioniga. Enne Eurofoundiga liitumist töötas ta mitu aastat Euroopa Komisjonis.

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 on Eurofoundi tööelu üksuse teadur. Ta vastutab valdkondlike representatiivsuse uuringute ülevaatearuannete koostamise, töösuhteid, sotsiaaldialoogi ja tööelu käsitleva riikliku aruandluse juhtimise ja kvaliteedikontrolli ning palgast kaugemale ulatuvate kollektiivläbirääkimiste projekti väljatöötamise eest. Enne Eurofoundiga liitumist töötas ta Genfis Rahvusvahelise Tööorganisatsiooni valitsemise ja kolmepoolsuse osakonnas tehniliste uuringute ametnikuna 2022. aasta sotsiaaldialoogi juhtaruande kallal. Ta töötas ka teadurina Kesk-Euroopa Tööuuringute Instituudis Bratislavas (2013–2020), keskendudes sotsiaaldialoogile, kollektiivläbirääkimistele, töötingimustele ja töösotsioloogiale. Marial on magistrikraad politoloogias, spetsialiseerudes võrdlevale Euroopa poliitikale Kesk-Euroopa Ülikoolist.

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.

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The tripartite EU agency providing knowledge to assist in the development of better social, employment and work-related policies