Working life research

Barbara Gerstenberger

​Head of Unit

Barbara Gerstenberger je vodja enote za delovno življenje pri Eurofoundu. V tej vlogi usklajuje raziskovalne skupine, ki preučujejo kakovost delovnih mest v Evropi na podlagi evropske raziskave o delovnih razmerah, in je na splošno odgovorna za Evropski observatorij za delovno življenje in raziskave odnosov med delodajalci in delojemalci v EU. Eurofoundu se je pridružila leta 2001 kot vodja raziskav v takrat novoustanovljenem Evropskem centru za spremljanje sprememb (EMCC). Leta 2007 se je preselila v Eurofoundovo informacijsko in komunikacijsko enoto kot vodja komunikacijskih produktov, nato pa je bila leta 2011 imenovana za koordinatorko v direktoratu. Pred tem je delala kot višja raziskovalka v Evropski federaciji kovinarjev v Bruslju. Diplomirala je iz politologije na Univerzi v Hamburgu, magistrirala je iz javne uprave na Kennedy School of Government na Univerzi Harvard.

Področja strokovnega znanja

Barbara je strokovnjak za naslednje teme.

Raziskovalni rezultati

Barbara je avtor naslednjih publikacij.

Dogodki, komentarji in analize

Barbara je prispeval k naslednjim dogodkom, blogovskim prispevkom in epizodam podkastov.

5 September 2025

Spletni dogodek

Watch the webinar - AskTheExpert: Beyond the data - Uncovering persistent inequalities in European working conditions

Eurofound is organising an interactive webinar looking at the first findings of its European Working Conditions Survey 2024, with a live Q&A. Date: 24 September 2025. Time: 15:00 – 16: 00 Irish time (16:00 - 17:00 Central European Time).

30 June 2025

Epizoda podkasta

Razvoj delovnih pogojev v Evropi

Ta epizoda preučuje spreminjajočo se pokrajino evropskih delovnih pogojev, ki se nahajajo na stičišču globoke tehnološke preobrazbe. Mary McCaughey se je pogovarjala z Barbaro Gerstenberger, Eurofoundovo vodjo enote za poklicno življenje, ki se je seznanila s 35-letno zgodovino evropske raziskave o delovnih razmerah (EWCS). Ta serija raziskav ponuja podroben pogled na vzdolžne premike v evropskem delovnem snu. Razprava ocenjuje, kako umetna inteligenca in digitalizacija preoblikujeta zaposlovanje, pri čemer potegne vzporednice z zgodovinskimi industrijskimi premiki, hkrati pa priznava stalno sposobnost prilagajanja sveta dela.

14 January 2025

Dogodek v živo

Foundation Forum 2025: Europe’s social model – the key to competitive growth

On 19–20 November 2025, Eurofound organised its 8th Foundation Forum at IMMA Venues. It is the agency’s quadrennial high-level flagship event which has been running for the past 20 years and is organised in cooperation with the Irish Government.

4 March 2024

Epizoda podkasta

Tackling the gender pay and employment gaps

In this special episode of Eurofound Talks for International Women's Day 2024, Mary McCaughey speaks with Eurofound researchers Carlos Vacas and Barbara Gerstenberger about the gender pay and employment gaps in Europe.Despite gender equality being a core principle of the EU, women are less likely to be in employment than men in all EU Member States and are paid less than men in almost every Member State, with the pay gap larger in higher paying jobs. Mary, Carlos, and Barbara discuss what progress has been made on these issues in recent years, the broader consequences of gender inequalities in the world of work, and the challenges that must be addressed if Europe is to meet gender equality targets.

8 February 2023

Epizoda podkasta

Job quality

The COVID-19 pandemic had profound implications on the labour market and job quality in Europe, with some workers, particularly those providing frontline services, continuing to work from the workplace under heavy restrictions, while others worked from home also in radically different environments from which they were accustomed. Eurofound has been closely monitoring working conditions in Europe for over 30 years via the European Working Conditions Survey; in 2021, the Agency conducted the European Working Conditions Telephone Survey (EWCTS), providing a detailed picture of the working lives of Europeans at an exceptional time. In this episode of Eurofound Talks, Eurofound Head of Unit for Working Life Barbara Gerstenberger discusses what the EWCTS reveals about job quality, the implications of poor-quality jobs on well-being and broader society, and what policymakers can do to improve the working lives of people in Europe.

17 January 2023

Blogovski prispevek

Job quality is pivotal in addressing today’s workplace and societal challenges

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live and work. With the lifting of restrictions across the globe, we are now able to examine the many repercussions on the world of work. In particular, the unique demands of the last few years have shone a harsh spotlight on the pressures brought to bear on different jobs and on certain work environments and the stresses associated with different forms of work. The pandemic has made us reassess so many aspects of our working lives. But has it changed the way we think about job quality – its role in ensuring a good working life and, indeed, a good life in general? The European Working Conditions Telephone Survey (EWCTS), a representative survey of Europe’s workers conducted by Eurofound in 2021, provides some answers.

9 May 2022

Epizoda podkasta

Living and working in Europe: Past, present and future

This podcast focuses on our annual update on the state of ‘Living and working in Europe’. It highlights trends and changes – both positive and negative – in the way citizens across the EU work today, and serves as a guide to policymakers at EU and Member State level. Our experts detail these with useful examples and insights which might also help face into the challenges raised by the most recent results from Eurofound’s unique pan-European Living, working and COVID-19 e-survey.

1 December 2021

Epizoda podkasta

Sustainable work

Never before have we had so much discussion about the way we work, the future of work and how this will impact our lives and those of the next generation. COVID-19 turned everything upside down as we have seen from the results of our unique pan-European Living, working and COVID-19 e-survey and we are still striving to make sense of the new hybrid, blended work experience. Will this in fact mean we can finally work longer and better while still maintaining a good quality of life? This podcast takes a deep dive into the opportunities and challenges associated with what we call ‘sustainable work’.

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 je uradnik za podporo raziskavam v enoti za delovno življenje pri Eurofoundu. Njegovo delo se osredotoča na industrijske odnose, minimalne plače in gradnjo podatkovnih baz, povezanih s temi temami. Pred tem je delal v Zveznem statističnem uradu Nemčije (Destatis) in Svetovni banki v vzhodni Afriki, kjer je izvajal raziskave o gospodinjstvih in raziskavah o trgih dela in revščini. Felix je magistriral iz ekonomije na Univerzi v Bonnu.

Angelina Atanasova

Research support officer
Working life research

Angelina Atanasova je uradnica za podporo raziskavam v enoti za delovno življenje pri Eurofoundu. Njene trenutne raziskovalne teme vključujejo socialni dialog in odnose med delodajalci in delojemalci ter pravice invalidov. Preden se je leta 2024 pridružila Eurofoundu, je delala kot višja politična analitičarka v Skladu za uporabne raziskave in komunikacije, raziskovalka na Evropskem socialnem observatoriju, raziskovalka na KU Leuven in svetovalka za politike na Inštitutu za evropsko politiko Open Society. Doktorirala je iz prava EU na KU Leuven in magistrirala iz javne politike na Srednjeevropski univerzi. Njena glavna raziskovalna področja so pravice invalidov, enakost spolov in socialna vključenost.

Christine Aumayr-Pintar

Senior research manager
Working life research

Christine Aumayr-Pintar je višja vodja raziskav v enoti za delovno življenje pri Eurofoundu. Usklajuje Eurofoundove raziskave o socialnem dialogu in odnosih med delodajalci in delojemalci ter nadzira mrežo Eurofoundovih dopisnikov (NEC). Njeno primarno raziskovalno strokovno znanje – pristop s primerjalnega vseevropskega vidika – se osredotoča na minimalne plače, kolektivno dogovorjene plače in preglednost plač med spoloma. Preden se je leta 2009 pridružila Eurofoundu, je bila raziskovalka na področju trgov dela in regionalne ekonomije pri Joanneum Research v Avstriji. Magistrirala je iz ekonomije in doktorirala iz družboslovja/ekonomije, študirala je ekonomijo v Gradcu, na Dunaju in v Jönköpingu.

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 je raziskovalka za študije reprezentativnosti v enoti za delovno življenje pri Eurofoundu. Odgovorna je za upravljanje raziskovalnih prispevkov Eurofoundovih nacionalnih korespondentov, nadzor kakovosti ter prispevanje k pripravi preglednih poročil za sektorske študije reprezentativnosti in zbiranje podatkov za evropsko podatkovno zbirko socialnih partnerjev. Preden se je leta 2019 pridružila Eurofoundu, je delala kot koordinatorka programa za Fundacijo Open Society Foundation v Romuniji in kot raziskovalka v Centru za javne inovacije v Bukarešti, kjer je prispevala k nacionalnim in mednarodnim raziskovalnim projektom na področju migracij, izobraževanja, dostopa državljanov tretjih držav do trga dela in človekovih pravic. Ima diplomo in magisterij iz sociologije.

Franz Ferdinand Eiffe

Research manager
Working life research

Franz Eiffe je vodja raziskav v enoti za delovno življenje pri Eurofoundu. Vključen je v projekte trajnostnega dela, kvantitativne analize in navzgor usmerjene konvergence v EU ter pri pripravi četrte evropske raziskave podjetij. Preden se je leta 2016 pridružil Eurofoundu, je bil vodja enote za analize pri avstrijskem statističnem uradu na Dunaju in vodja projekta "Kako je v Avstriji? Merjenje bogastva in napredka nad BDP". Doktoriral je iz ekonomije na Ekonomski univerzi na Dunaju (WU), kjer je od leta 2005 do leta 2009 delal tudi kot znanstveni sodelavec in do leta 2016 kot predavatelj.

Manuel Gómez Martín

Administrative assistant
Working life research

Manuel Gómez Martín je administrativni pomočnik v enoti za delovno življenje. Ukvarja se predvsem s področjem odnosov med delodajalci in delojemalci, posebej pa organizira javna naročila in sestanke v okviru povezanih projektov. Pred tem je delal za GD JRC v Evropski komisiji ter za zasebna podjetja v Londonu in Španiji.

Peter Kerckhofs

Senior research manager
Working life research

Peter Kerckhofs je višji vodja raziskav v enoti za delovno življenje pri Eurofoundu. Njegovo delo se osredotoča na vlogo socialnih partnerjev v evropskem semestru in tudi na nacionalno poročanje o razvoju odnosov med delodajalci in delojemalci. Peter ima široko strokovno znanje pri razvoju metodologije za študije reprezentativnosti, uporabi evropskih in nacionalnih meril reprezentativnosti v specifičnem kontekstu različnih sektorjev, hkrati pa zbira poglobljeno znanje o razmerjih med delodajalci in delojemalci v različnih sektorjih. Peter je sodeloval tudi pri projektih, povezanih z evropskimi sveti delavcev in evropskim sektorskim socialnim dialogom. Preden se je pridružil Eurofoundu, je delal kot raziskovalec za ETUI in UCL, kot politični sekretar za EMCEF in bil znanstveni koordinator doktorske fakultete Fakultete za družbene vede KU Leuven. Diplomiral je iz socialnega dela in magistriral iz političnih ved na KU Leuven in mednarodne odnose na UCL ter doktoriral iz industrijskih odnosov na Univerzi v Manchestru.

Sophia MacGoris

Surveys officer
Working life research

Sophia MacGoris je sodelavka za raziskave, ki dela v enoti za delovno življenje pri Eurofoundu. Sodeluje pri vseh treh Eurofoundovih raziskavah. Ker je že vrsto let vključena v mednacionalne raziskave, s svojimi izkušnjami in prečno vlogo zagotavlja kontinuiteto učenja in zagotavljanje kakovosti na najvišji ravni v celotnem procesu anketiranja. Preden se je leta 1996 pridružila Eurofoundu, je več let delala v Evropski komisiji v Bruslju na področju znanosti, raziskav in razvoja. Ima diplomo iz družboslovja, specializirano za socialno politiko.

Pietro Malacalza

Research assistant
Working life research

Pietro Malacalza je raziskovalni asistent v enoti za delovno življenje pri Eurofoundu, ki je pred tem delal na področju operativne podpore. Njegovo delo vključuje podporo mreži Eurofoundovih dopisnikov, vključno z nadzorom kakovosti, povzemanjem nacionalnih prispevkov za raziskovalna poročila in podatkovne zbirke, spremljanjem posameznih rezultatov in kodiranjem informacij v programski opremi za kvalitativne raziskave. Preden se je pridružil Eurofoundu, je delal kot svetovalec za vodenje projektov za Skupno raziskovalno središče Evropske komisije (JRC), delal pa je tudi na različnih položajih v IT, vesoljski in živilski industriji. Diplomiral je iz politologije na Univerzi v Milanu in pridobil certifikat strokovnjaka za projektno vodenje (PMP).

Agnès Parent-Thirion

Senior research manager
Working life research

Agnès Parent-Thirion je višja vodja raziskav v enoti za delovno življenje pri Eurofoundu, ki je zadolžena za načrtovanje, razvoj in izvajanje raziskovalnih projektov o delovnih razmerah, zlasti evropske raziskave o delovnih razmerah (EWCS) in njenih analiz. Odgovorna je za izredno izdajo EWCS 2021 in za pripravo vprašalnika za EWCS 2024. Njeni raziskovalni interesi vključujejo delovne pogoje, kakovost delovnih mest, spremljanje delovnih pogojev, organizacijo dela, spol, prihodnost dela in čas. Že več kot desetletje dela na področju evropskih primerjalnih raziskav na vseh področjih, vključno z oblikovanjem, razvojem vprašalnika, terenskim delom, kontrolo kakovosti in analizo. Diplomirala je iz ekonomije in managementa na univerzah Paris IX Dauphine in Paris I Panthéon na Sorboni ter ima podiplomsko diplomo iz statistike na Trinity College Dublin. Pred kratkim je zaključila spletne tečaje o umetni inteligenci: vodenje na podlagi poizvedb pri MIT Sloan Executive Education in "Les grand enjeux de la transition: re-ouvrir l'horizon, comprendre pour agir" s Campus de la Transition. Preden se je pridružila Eurofoundu, je več let delala v Evropski komisiji.

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 je raziskovalka v enoti za delovno življenje pri Eurofoundu. Odgovorna je za pripravo preglednih poročil za sektorske študije reprezentativnosti, upravljanje in nadzor kakovosti nacionalnega poročanja o odnosih med delodajalci in delojemalci, socialnem dialogu in poklicnem življenju ter razvoj projekta o kolektivnih pogajanjih, ki presegajo plačilo. Preden se je pridružila Eurofoundu, je delala kot sodelavka za tehnične raziskave v oddelku za upravljanje in tridelizem pri Mednarodni organizaciji dela v Ženevi pri vodilnem poročilu o socialnem dialogu za leto 2022. Delala je tudi kot raziskovalka na Srednjeevropskem inštitutu za študije dela v Bratislavi (2013–2020), kjer se je osredotočala na socialni dialog, kolektivna pogajanja, delovne pogoje in sociologijo dela. Maria je magistrirala iz politologije s specializacijo za primerjalno evropsko politiko na Srednjeevropski univerzi.

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.

Documents

The following documents are available for download.

CV and DOI

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European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions
The tripartite EU agency providing knowledge to assist in the development of better social, employment and work-related policies