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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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Hybridityö ja sen toteuttaminen Euroopassa

Termi hybridityö otettiin käyttöön etätyön yleistyessä covid-19-pandemian aikana ja yritysten ja työntekijöiden alettua keskustella tavoista organisoida työ kriisin jälkeen. Yhä useammin termiä käytetään viittaamaan tilanteisiin, joissa etätyöksi soveltuvaa työtä tehdään...

25 toukokuu 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)

Oikeus olla tavoittamattomissa: Toteutuminen ja vaikutukset yritystasolla

This report explores EU Member States’ legislation around the right to disconnect and assesses the impact of company policies in this area on employees’ hours of connection, working time, work–life balance, health and well-being, and overall workplace satisfaction.

30 November 2023
Publication
Research report
Työaika
Työ- ja yksityiselämän tasapaino
Työolot ja kestävä työ
Etätyö
Working conditions
Agreements
Labour and social regulation
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Hybridityö ja sen toteuttaminen Euroopassa

Termi hybridityö otettiin käyttöön etätyön yleistyessä covid-19-pandemian aikana ja yritysten ja työntekijöiden alettua keskustella tavoista organisoida työ kriisin jälkeen. Yhä useammin termiä käytetään viittaamaan tilanteisiin, joissa etätyöksi soveltuvaa työtä tehdään kahdesta paikasta käsin

25 May 2023
Publication
Research report
Työolot ja kestävä työ
Etätyö
Work organisation
Labour and social regulation
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Etätyön yleistymisen vaikutus työoloihin ja sääntelyyn

Tässä raportissa esitellään Eurofoundin tutkimusta etätyöstä covid-19-pandemian aikana vuosina 2020 ja 2021. Siinä tarkastellaan muutoksia etätyön yleisyydessä, kotoa käsin työskentelevien työntekijöiden työoloissa ja tähän työjärjestelyyn liittyviä kysymyksiä käsittelevissä säännöksissä. Tulokset

08 December 2022
Publication
Research report
Uusia työllisyyden muotoja
Työolot ja kestävä työ
Working conditions
Etätyö
Employment relationship
COVID-19
Digitaaliaika: työn ja työllisyyden mahdollisuudet ja haasteet
Labour and social regulation
Työaika
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Itsenäisten ammatinharjoittajien vähimmäispalkkojen ja muiden palkkiomuotojen sääntely

Tämä raportti laaditaan osana Euroopan komission Eurofoundille toimeksiantamaa kolmivuotista pilottihanketta (2021–2023) ”Vähimmäispalkan rooli yleisen työvoimatakuun perustamisessa”. Siinä keskitytään hankkeen moduuliin 3, jossa tutkitaan itsenäisten ammatinharjoittajien vähimmäispalkkoja ja muita

30 November 2022
Publication
Research report
Palkka ja tulot
Vähimmäispalkka
Agreements
Collective bargaining
Labour and social regulation
Työmarkkinasuhteet ja työmarkkinaosapuolten vuoropuhelu
Työmarkkinasuhteet
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Etätyö Euroopan unionissa: säännökset ja viimeaikaiset muutokset

Tässä raportissa kartoitetaan ja analysoidaan etätyötä koskevaa lainsäädäntöä ja työehtosopimusneuvotteluja 27 jäsenvaltiossa sekä Norjassa. Siinä tuodaan esiin tärkeimmät maiden väliset erot ja yhtäläisyydet etätyölainsäädännössä ja näihin säännöksiin viime aikoina tehdyissä muutoksissa. Siinä

01 September 2022
Publication
Research report
Työaika
Working conditions
Etätyö
Työ- ja yksityiselämän tasapaino
Work organisation
Agreements
Collective bargaining
Labour and social regulation
Työmarkkinasuhteet ja työmarkkinaosapuolten vuoropuhelu
Työmarkkinasuhteet
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Vähimmäispalkat vuonna 2022: Vuotuinen tarkastelu

Vuoden 2021 varovaisen vähimmäispalkan määrittämiskierroksen jälkeen nimellispalkat nousivat merkittävästi vuonna 2022, kun pandemian kielteiset seuraukset lieventyivät ja talous ja työmarkkinat kohenivat. Tässä yhteydessä 20 niistä 21:stä EU:n jäsenvaltiosta, joissa on lakisääteinen vähimmäispalkka

15 June 2022
Publication
Research report
Työmarkkinaosapuolten välinen vuoropuhelu
Social partners
Palkka ja tulot
Vähimmäispalkka
Collective bargaining
Labour and social regulation
Työmarkkinasuhteet ja työmarkkinaosapuolten vuoropuhelu
Työmarkkinasuhteet
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Ethics in the digital workplace

Digitisation and automation technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), can affect working conditions in a variety of ways and their use in the workplace raises a host of new ethical concerns. Recently, the policy debate surrounding these concerns has become more prominent and has

30 May 2022
Publication
Research report
Social dialogue
Social policies
Working conditions
Employment and labour markets
Anticipating and managing the impact of change
Digitalisation
Labour and social regulation
Job quality
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Working life in the COVID-19 pandemic 2021

This publication consists of individual country reports on working life during 2021 for 28 countries – the 27 EU Member States and Norway. The country reports summarise evidence on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on working life based on national research and survey results during 2021. They

19 May 2022
Publication
Other
Social dialogue
Social partners
Pay and income
Working time
Working conditions
COVID-19
Industrial action
Labour and social regulation
Industrial relations and social dialogue
Industrial relations
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Vähimmäispalkat vuonna 2021: Vuotuinen tarkastelu

Tässä raportissa on yhteenveto siitä, miten vuoden 2021 vähimmäispalkkatasot määritettiin vuonna 2020, jolloin covid-19-pandemian vaikutus oli suuri. Siinä arvioidaan kansallisten päätöksentekijöiden kohtaamia vaikeuksia ja heidän reagointiaan pandemian taloudellisia ja sosiaalisia seurauksia

10 June 2021
Publication
Research report
Työmarkkinaosapuolten välinen vuoropuhelu
Social partners
Palkka ja tulot
Working poor
Vähimmäispalkka
European Pillar of Social Rights
Collective bargaining
Labour and social regulation
Työmarkkinasuhteet ja työmarkkinaosapuolten vuoropuhelu
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Vammaisuus ja työmarkkinoille pääsy: poliittiset suuntaukset ja tuki EU:n jäsenvaltioissa

Tässä raportissa tarkastellaan vammaisten henkilöiden avoimille työmarkkinoille pääsyn tukemiseen tähtäävän politiikan kehittämistä EU:n jäsenvaltioissa. Siinä keskitytään erityisesti kolmeen vaiheeseen eli työhön pääsyyn, työpaikassa pysymiseen ja työhön palaamiseen poissaolon jälkeen. Siinä

19 April 2021
Publication
Research report
Social policies
Julkiset palvelut
Working conditions
European Pillar of Social Rights
COVID-19
Disability and chronic disease
Labour market policies
Labour market participation
Elinolot ja elämän laatu
Labour and social regulation
Online resources results (794)

Slovenia: Proposed amendments to legislation attempted to secure universal employee participation in management

A Slovenian parliamentary group sought to secure employee participation in the management of Slovenian Sovereign Holdings, which manages the country’s state-owned assets.

30 heinäkuu 2015
Article
Work organisation
Employee representation
Participation at work
Working conditions
Industrial relations
Labour and social regulation
Employment and labour markets
Working conditions and sustainable work
Industrial relations and social dialogue

UK: TUC calls for stronger enforcement of national minimum wage

A 10-point plan to improve the enforcement of the national minimum wage in the UK has been published by the TUC. It estimates that at least 250,000 workers are not being paid the minimum wage, and the new Conservative government, elected in May 2015, has pledged to put this right.

30 heinäkuu 2015
Article
Working poor
Minimum wage
Pay and income
Labour law
Working conditions
Employment and labour markets
Labour and social regulation
Working conditions and sustainable work

UK: Opportunities for flexible working are increasing

Opportunities for flexible working are widely available in the UK and employers’ enthusiasm for the concept is increasing, a survey has shown. However, the government-funded survey has also provided a mixed picture of the awareness of these opportunities and of the use of recent statutory provisions

30 heinäkuu 2015
Article
Working time
Work-life balance
Working conditions
Labour and social regulation
Working conditions and sustainable work

Malta: Concerns over male-dominated sectors subsidising maternity leave benefits

28 heinäkuu 2015
Article
Gender equality
Leave
Social dialogue
Labour law
Working conditions
Employment and labour markets
Industrial relations
Labour and social regulation
Working conditions and sustainable work
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Belgium: Trade unions criticise pension reform proposals

Proposed reforms to Belgium's pension system will – along with other changes – extend the retirement age to 67 by 2030. The proposed reforms have attracted strong criticism from the country's trade unions, but support from employer associations.

27 heinäkuu 2015
Article
Retirement
Social dialogue
Labour law
Working conditions
Labour and social regulation
Working conditions and sustainable work
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Sweden: Stricter sanctions against non-resident hauliers who violate EU cabotage regulation

There has been heated debate in the transport sector regarding the common market's impact on Swedish wages and working conditions. A new law tries to deal with some of the most obvious violations of the rules.

27 heinäkuu 2015
Article
Pay and income
Labour and social regulation
Labour law
Industrial relations
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Poland: New law to grant self-employed the right to join a union

27 heinäkuu 2015
Article
Non-standard employment
Social partners
Employment and labour markets
Industrial relations
Labour and social regulation
Industrial relations and social dialogue

UK: Unions unhappy at European court ruling on collective redundancy case

Trade unions in the UK have expressed disappointment at a ruling clarifying the EU directive on collective redundancies. However, employers’ groups welcomed the decision by the European Court of Justice which confirms that, under EU law, redundancy consultation obligations can be triggered on an

27 heinäkuu 2015
Article
Participation at work
Labour law
Labour and social regulation
Working conditions
Employment and labour markets
Industrial relations
Working conditions and sustainable work
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Lithuania: Social partners agree minimum wage increase

27 heinäkuu 2015
Article
Minimum wage
Social dialogue
Working conditions
Employment and labour markets
Industrial relations
Labour and social regulation
Working conditions and sustainable work
Industrial relations and social dialogue

Hungary: Workers may win back annual leave lost due to long-term sick leave rules

27 heinäkuu 2015
Article
Leave
Labour law
Working conditions
Industrial relations
Labour and social regulation
Working conditions and sustainable work
Industrial relations and social dialogue
Blogs results (12)
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Regulating platform work in Europe: A work in progress

The platform economy is one of those moving targets, which, despite receiving increasing media and policy attention, has proven difficult to regulate. Given the heterogeneity of employment relationships, business models, types of platform work and cross-border issues, this is not surprising. Yet, in

27 syyskuu 2022
Dragoș Adăscăliței
Blog
Platform work
Working conditions
Employment and labour markets
Anticipating and managing the impact of change
Digitalisation
Labour and social regulation
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Resumed EU Semester calls for better involvement of the social partners in implementing recovery and resilience plans

With the arrival of the month of May, the 2022 European Semester Spring Package is anticipated soon. After a transformative year in 2021, which saw the launch of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) under NextGenerationEU, the European Semester cycle has resumed its role as the reference

3 toukokuu 2022
Ricardo Rodriguez Contreras
Blog
Social partners
European Pillar of Social Rights
Labour and social regulation
Industrial relations and social dialogue
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Platform cooperatives ensure caring in the sharing economy

Whether it is couch surfing, baby-sitting, pizza delivery or getting Ikea furniture assembled by somebody who can do it better, platforms can mediate all kinds of voluntary or professional services. Platform work is at the heart of the ‘sharing economy’. But while this may sound like a new form of

31 maaliskuu 2022
Beate Steurer
Blog
New forms of employment
Employment relationship
Anticipating and managing the impact of change
Digitalisation
Labour and social regulation
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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

18 kesäkuu 2021
Christine Aumayr-Pintar
Blog
Pay and income
Working conditions and sustainable work
Gender equality
Labour and social regulation
Industrial relations and social dialogue
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As Member States take different approaches to regulating telework, will the EU bring them into line?

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

31 toukokuu 2021
Federica De Blasio
Blog
Working conditions and sustainable work
Teleworking
Digitalisation
Labour and social regulation
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Does the new telework generation need a right to disconnect?

Whatever the benefits of telework – and there are many, including more flexible working time, increased productivity and less commuting – there are drawbacks, as many of the one-third of Europeans who were exclusively working from home during the pandemic will attest. Primary among these is the ‘alw

3 joulukuu 2020
Oscar Vargas Llave
Blog
Working conditions and sustainable work
Work-life balance
Collective bargaining
Agreements
Digitalisation
Teleworking
Labour and social regulation
Anticipating and managing the impact of change
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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

6 marraskuu 2020
Christine Aumayr-Pintar
Blog
Pay and income
Gender equality
Discrimination at work
Labour and social regulation
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Racial discrimination is not a thing of the past in the EU

25 kesäkuu 2020
Anna Gallinat
Blog
Working conditions and sustainable work
Working conditions
Employment and labour markets
Discrimination at work
Inclusive labour markets
Migration and mobility
Labour and social regulation
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Can short-time working save jobs during the COVID-19 crisis?

On 2 April, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a new fund of up to €100 billion to support EU Member States to introduce short-time working or similar schemes, including for the self-employed, in an effort to safeguard jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Known as SURE

5 toukokuu 2020
Tina Weber
Blog
COVID-19
Labour market policies
Labour and social regulation
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Economic downturns expose the vulnerability of a growing number of precarious workers

Up to the start of 2020, recent EU economic and labour market trends were often discussed in terms of the periods before and after the Great Recession. It now appears likely that, in the short- to medium-term, the repercussions of that economic crisis will be dwarfed by the unfolding impact of the

21 huhtikuu 2020
Tina Weber
Blog
COVID-19
Non-standard employment
Employment status
Labour and social regulation
Employment and labour markets

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