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Activity

Working conditions and sustainable work

Working conditions and sustainable work is one of Eurofound's main operational activities for its 2025–2028 programme. Building on the past 50 years of research, Eurofound continues to operate as a centre of expertise for monitoring and analysing developments in this area arising from the opportunities and challenges from four mega-drivers: demographic change, climate change, technological change and re-globalisation.

Research focus

Drawing on its latest data collected via the European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) 2024, Eurofound provides comparative data and unique insights into trends in the development of working conditions and job quality across the EU Member States, aiming to promote sustainability of work over the life course in a labour market characterised by transformative changes.

In 2025 and beyond, analysing the EWCS 2024 data is the main focus in the area of working conditions and sustainable work, aiming to identify the challenges arising from the combined impact of the four mega-drivers. This work is complemented by evidence on measures designed to address these challenges and improve working conditions. Such measures stem from public policies and legislation, the intervention of the social partners and practices at workplace level.

Background
Working time
Working conditions
Job quality
Teleworking
Sustainable work
Health and well-being
Gender equality
Work-life balance

Events

Online event
Own event

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

DateWednesday, 24 September 2025
Time15:00h‒16:00h (Irish local time)
LocationOnline
This event is in the past
In-person event
Own event

Brussels Briefing - Better jobs, longer careers: The role of job quality in retaining older workers

DateThursday, 15 May 2025
Time10:00h‒12:00h (Irish local time)
Time10:00 (Europe/Brussels)
LocationBrussels
This event is in the past
In-person event
Joint event

Brussels Briefing: Work and well-being - The gender gap in job quality

DateMonday, 9 December 2024
Time14:00h‒16:00h (Irish local time)
Time14:00 (Europe/Brussels)
LocationBrussels
This event is in the past
Online event
Joint event

Virtual Visit to Belgium - Job quality: a key driver for increasing labour force participation

DateTuesday, 26 November 2024
Time11:30h‒12:30h (Irish local time)
Time11:30 (Europe/Brussels)
Location
This event is in the past
In-person event
External event

Mental health and work - EU Presidency of Belgium

Date30 – 31 January 2024
LocationBrussels
This event is in the past

All content

This list provides access to all Eurofound outputs published on this subject.

Eurofound expert

Barbara Gerstenberger

​Head of Unit
Working life research

Barbara Gerstenberger is Head of the Working Life unit at Eurofound. In this role, she coordinates the research teams investigating job quality in Europe based on the European Working Conditions Survey and industrial relations in the EU. She joined Eurofound in 2001 as a research manager in the then newly established European Monitoring Centre on Change (EMCC). In 2007, she moved to Eurofound’s Information and Communication unit as Head of Communication Products, before being appointed Coordinator in the Directorate in 2011. Previously, she worked as senior research officer in the European Metalworkers’ Federation in Brussels. A graduate in political science from Hamburg University, she completed a Master's degree in Public Administration at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

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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