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Labour and social regulation

Labour and social regulation covers the legal framework and fundamental social rights that regulates industrial relations, employment and social policies across Europe. It includes national, EU and international legislation.  Union labour law has a direct or indirect impact on the normative and functional frameworks of individual and collective labour law systems of the Member States in a relationship of mutual interference and interaction.  Increasingly Union labour laws are also shaped by agreements that the parties voluntarily enter into and by soft law mechanisms.  The reform or modernising of labour law is currently high on the agenda in several Member States.

Topic

Recent updates

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Regulatory responses to algorithmic management in the EU

Since 2013, Eurofound's ERM database on restructuring-related legislation has been documenting regulatory developments in the Member States of the European Union and Norway. The most recent update to the database...

Article
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Hübriidtöö Euroopas: kontseptsioon ja praktika

Termin „hübriidtöö“ sai populaarseks seoses kaugtöö levikuga COVID-19 pandeemia ajal, kui ettevõtted ja töötajad hakkasid arutama, kuidas korraldada tööd pärast kriisi. Seda mõistet on üha enam kasutatud, et osutada olukordadele...

25 Mai 2023
Publication
Research report

Eurofound research

Eurofound has monitored legislative developments in industrial relations, working conditions and restructuring in Europe over time and from a comparative perspective across the Member States. The Agency’s work in this area seeks to assist decision-makers to better understand the legal framework for creating policy. It has also put resources in place to assist audiences in understanding the sometimes complex and difficult terminology used.

EU context

This topic covers the legal framework that regulates industrial relations and employment across Europe, including EU legislation and the fundamental labour standards that need to be taken into account.

Legislation is crucial in shaping how Europeans work and live. It is the basis for ensuring better working conditions, equitable labour relations, and equal opportunities for all citizens.

Publications results (81)

Employment and labour market policies for an ageing workforce and initiatives at the workplace - National overview report: Romania

This report looks at the evolution of initiatives related to older employees undertaken by selected organisations (case studies) in Romania over the last decade. It reviews the following points: main impacts of measures/initiatives at the company level; driving forces for implementing good practice

15 October 2007
Publication
Research report
Labour market policies
Ageing workforce
Employment and labour markets
Labour and social regulation

Employment and labour market policies for an ageing workforce and initiatives at the workplace - National overview report: Slovakia

This report looks at the evolution of initiatives related to older employees undertaken by selected organisations (case studies) in Slovakia over the last decade. It reviews the following points: main impacts of measures/initiatives at the company level; driving forces for implementing good practice

15 October 2007
Publication
Research report
Labour market policies
Ageing workforce
Employment and labour markets
Labour and social regulation

Employment and labour market policies for an ageing workforce and initiatives at the workplace - National overview report: Denmark

This report looks at the evolution of initiatives related to older employees undertaken by selected organisations (case studies) in Denmark over the last decade. It reviews the following points: main impacts of measures/initiatives at the company level; driving forces for implementing good practice

15 October 2007
Publication
Research report
Labour market policies
Ageing workforce
Employment and labour markets
Labour and social regulation

Employment and labour market policies for an ageing workforce and initiatives at the workplace - National overview report: Hungary

This report looks at the evolution of initiatives related to older employees undertaken by selected organisations (case studies) in Hungary over the last decade. It reviews the following points: main impacts of measures/initiatives at the company level; driving forces for implementing good practice

15 October 2007
Publication
Research report
Labour market policies
Ageing workforce
Employment and labour markets
Labour and social regulation

Employment and labour market policies for an ageing workforce and initiatives at the workplace - National overview report: Lithuania

This report looks at the evolution of initiatives related to older employees undertaken by selected organisations (case studies) in Lithuania over the last decade. It reviews the following points: main impacts of measures/initiatives at the company level; driving forces for implementing good

15 October 2007
Publication
Research report
Labour market policies
Ageing workforce
Employment and labour markets
Labour and social regulation

Employment and labour market policies for an ageing workforce and initiatives at the workplace - National overview report: Luxembourg

This report looks at the evolution of initiatives related to older employees undertaken by selected organisations (case studies) in Luxembourg over the last decade. It reviews the following points: main impacts of measures/initiatives at the company level; driving forces for implementing good

15 October 2007
Publication
Research report
Labour market policies
Ageing workforce
Employment and labour markets
Labour and social regulation

Employment and labour market policies for an ageing workforce and initiatives at the workplace - National overview report: Slovenia

This report looks at the evolution of initiatives related to older employees undertaken by selected organisations (case studies) in Slovenia over the last decade. It reviews the following points: main impacts of measures/initiatives at the company level; driving forces for implementing good practice

13 October 2007
Publication
Research report
Ageing workforce
Labour law
Employment and labour markets
Labour and social regulation

Attractive workplace for all: a contribution to the Lisbon strategy at company level - National report for Germany

The Foundation project ‘Attractive workplace for all: A contribution to the Lisbon Strategy at company level’ aims at identifying pioneer company practices, policies and agreements and showing how the Lisbon strategy is being implemented on the ground at company level. Examples of innovative company

28 September 2007
Publication
Research report
Labour law
Working conditions
Labour and social regulation
Working conditions and sustainable work

Employment and labour market policies for an ageing workforce and initiatives at the workplace - National overview report: Spain

This report looks at the evolution of initiatives related to older employees undertaken by selected organisations (case studies) in Spain over the last decade. It reviews the following points: main impacts of measures/initiatives at the company level; driving forces for implementing good practice at

06 September 2007
Publication
Research report
Labour market policies
Ageing workforce
Employment and labour markets
Labour and social regulation

Employment and labour market policies for an ageing workforce and initiatives at the workplace - National overview report: Finland

This report looks at the evolution of initiatives related to older employees undertaken by selected organisations (case studies) in Finland over the last decade. It reviews the following points: main impacts of measures/initiatives at the company level; driving forces for implementing good practice

06 September 2007
Publication
Research report
Labour market policies
Ageing workforce
Employment and labour markets
Labour and social regulation
Online resources results (794)

Norway: Employer confederations seek minimum wage for refugees and immigrants

There is no national statutory minimum wage in Norway. However, several employer confederations have taken an initiative to introduce a minimum wage in relation to the current refugee situation.

21 aprill 2016
Article
Migration and mobility
Minimum wage
Pay and income
Working conditions
Employment and labour markets
Industrial relations
Labour and social regulation
Working conditions and sustainable work
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Finland: Developments in working life – Q1 2016

Talks on the Competitiveness Pact, threats to the formation of a new peak-level organisation, and an agreement on a wage freeze are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in Finland in the first quarter of 2016.

20 aprill 2016
Article
Working time
Social dialogue
Social partners
Working conditions
Employment and labour markets
Industrial relations
Labour and social regulation
Working conditions and sustainable work
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Hungary: Vocational training system gets major overhaul

Hungary is undergoing a major transformation of its education system. The number of Vocational Education and Training (VET) schools needed is under review and responsibility for their supervision is being transferred to the Ministry for National Economy (NGM).

20 aprill 2016
Article
Working conditions
Labour and social regulation
Working conditions and sustainable work

Spain: Developments in working life – Q1 2016

The discussions and deals between political parties after the general election of December 2015, the slow recovery of the labour market and trade union membership losses are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in Spain

20 aprill 2016
Article
Working time
Teleworking
Non-standard employment
Employee representation
Working conditions
Employment and labour markets
Industrial relations
Labour and social regulation
Working conditions and sustainable work
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Slovenia: Controversy over amendments to the Minimum Wage Act

The definition of the minimum wage in Slovenia was changed at the end of November 2015. From 1 January 2016, the allowances for unfavourable working time (night, Sunday and holiday work) are exempted from it and paid separately. Trade unions are pleased, but employer organisations were outraged and

15 aprill 2016
Article
Minimum wage
Pay and income
Industrial relations
Labour and social regulation
Industrial relations and social dialogue

United Kingdom: National living wage comes into force

A statutory ‘national living wage’ comes into force in the United Kingdom on 1 April 2016 and will be phased in over four years, with the aim of reaching 60% of median UK earnings by 2020. Trade unions have welcomed the move while employer groups have expressed concern about some businesses’ ability

29 märts 2016
Article
Working poor
Pay and income
Industrial relations
Labour and social regulation
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Ireland: National Minimum Wage rise follows Low Pay Commission report

The first rise in Ireland's National Minimum Wage (NMW) since 2007 was implemented on January 1, 2016. It comes after a recommendation in the Low Pay Commission’s first annual report to increase the NMW by 50 cents per hour to a new hourly rate of €9.15.

11 märts 2016
Article
Labour law
Employment and labour markets
Labour market policies
Labour and social regulation
Minimum wage
Pay and income
Living conditions and quality of life

Greece: Court rules cut to civil servants' lump sum benefits is constitutional

The Greek Supreme Administrative Court has ruled that cuts to a teacher's lump sum benefit (payable to public servants on retirement) were not illegal. The teacher had claimed the 34.27% reduction imposed as part of financial austerity measures was unconstitutional. The judgement has yet to be

10 märts 2016
Article
Labour and social regulation

Finland: Changes in legislation lead to earlier return to work after prolonged sickness absence

Legislative changes in Finland regarding sickness absence appear to have boosted the proportion of employees returning to work.

9 märts 2016
Article
Leave
Disability and chronic disease
Social protection
Employment and labour markets
Labour and social regulation

Norway: General application of collective agreements in the transport sector

General application of collective agreements in the Norwegian transport sector were put in force in 2015 to help regulate pay and employment conditions for foreign drivers.

9 märts 2016
Article
Collective bargaining
Industrial relations
Labour and social regulation
Industrial relations and social dialogue
Blogs results (12)
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Member States still getting to grips with the single labour market

The European Platform Tackling Undeclared Work last year documented the case of a Dutch temporary work agency that hired workers of various nationalities to work for a construction company in Belgium. The wages were suspiciously low, and the Belgian Labour Inspectorate believed that EU law

17 juuli 2019
Helen Burke
Blog
Posted workers
Working conditions and sustainable work
Working conditions
Undeclared work
Fraudulent work
Labour and social regulation
Industrial relations and social dialogue
Industrial relations
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Tackling trafficking for labour exploitation in Europe: new way forward together

The European Union (EU) has strong legislation in place that protects workers from being exploited and also enables businesses to engage in fair competition. Workers are mobile and can move freely within the EU single market across borders – without being dependent upon traffickers. Yet, the latest

3 Mai 2016
Andrea Fromm
Blog
Fraudulent work
Industrial relations
Labour and social regulation
Employment and labour markets
Migration and mobility
Working conditions
Working conditions and sustainable work
Industrial relations and social dialogue

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